Armored Core RWBY: Remnants of the Past
by Maximilian Thermidor
Summary: The trials of Ruby and Co. as they fight for justice and survival in a devastated world. Forced to flee their home of Aspina at the end of the LYNX War, Ruby and Yang join Line Ark and will prove themselves key players in the coming global crisis. An epic tale of friendship, betrayal, loss, giant mech suits and what it means to be a hero. Armored Core 4/fA-RWBY crossover.
1. Chapter 1: Fall

**And so it begins. This is my first fanfic, so any advice or comments are welcome. I will try to update this weekly.**

**I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: All characters, concepts, etc. are owned by their respective creators, From Software and Roosterteeth. I only claim ownership of the crossover storyline.**

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><p><em>In the aftermath of the National Dismantlement War, Corporations seized control of the planet and its resources, becoming the new world leaders and forcing civilians into corporate-run colonies. <em>

_For a time, there was peace between the companies, until they began to compete for resources, utilizing advanced humanoid machines called Armored Cores. _

_Of special interest were each company's limited number of hyper-advanced Armored Core NEXTs, easily capable of defeating entire armies alone._

_These NEXTs, and the pilots, called LYNX, would eventually become the dominant forms of warfare on the planet, and battles between them were both awe-inspiring and catastrophic. Some LYNX, however, were not under the control of the major companies, and worked independently as mercenaries, adding another element of danger to the ongoing LYNX War._

_One such LYNX was the mysterious figure known as Anatolia's Mercenary. His incredible combat skills drew the attention of many major players in the war, with some companies openly engaging in hostilities against his home colony of Anatolia, and others aligning with him in hopes of using his abilities._

_LYNX mercenaries often came into conflict with each other, forced to kill former allies and betray previous employers. However, in the case of Joshua O'Brien, a lasting friendship was made. The pilot of White Glint from my home colony of Aspina, Joshua was an excellent pilot and a genuinely good person. He fought hard to support our home, and when he was sent to defeat The Mercenary, they realized how similar they were in their goals, and made an agreement together, a truce. In all their missions, even when pitted against each other, they refused to use lethal force against their counterpart, leaving them disabled to be saved later. Of all the LYNXs fighting in the war, these two mercenaries were the only ones to recognize their own humanity._

_But the scheming corporations had other plans, and as the LYNX War drew to a close, their friendship could not last…_

ACT I

Chapter 1: Fall

I sat on the cold workbench in the garage, absent-mindedly swinging my feet as I watched Joshua tuning up White Glint from a steel walkway high above me. The NEXT towered over us, standing almost ten meters in height. Even in the dim light coming through the windows the machine was a brilliant, almost blinding pure white color. I would have said it looked like fresh snow on a mountain, but I hadn't seen snow yet. Aspina was in a rather arid region, and I was only fifteen at the time. I always wanted to travel, and Joshua would tell me stories of all the places he had been. It fascinated me how large the world seemed from down here, looking up at the majestic head of White Glint, proud and sleek.

Early on I had developed a love for tinkering with anything I could get my hands on, which is how I met Joshua. To get to the garage from the helipad where spare pieces were dropped off for repairs, you have to go by my house. As the wind picked up, dust flew into the air and obscured the ground, so Joshua didn't see that one of the multiple lens pieces that comprised the camera of White Glint had rolled out from his truck as he drove past. I saw this happen from inside my house, and my curiosity got the better of me. I ran outside and quickly found it: a large, three foot long strip of Aegisterean plastic lined with a complex lens system. Inspecting it, I quickly found a rip in the metal of the camera system on the backside where it had landed heavily after falling from the truck. Rather impulsively I reached inside it and tried to feel for any damage.

As I brushed my hand against a thin cable, I felt a shock and yelped in fright, pulling my hand back as the lenses began to glow. I was baffled by what was going on, until I realized it must have a backup power source for emergencies. This is NEXT tech after all. I spent the next hour carefully moving things around inside the hole, getting the lenses to open and close, refocusing them into different patterns. And that was how Joshua found me. I was so focused on my work that I didn't hear the truck pull up a few feet behind me, or the footsteps as the young man walked towards the nerdy little girl messing around with a piece of his NEXT in the dirt. When he tapped me on the shoulder I nearly jumped out of my skin. I quickly turned and crawled backwards, frightened I had been caught with this expensive piece of tech. Everyone knew of Joshua, but not too many people talked with him. His green eyes seemed kind enough, and his hair matched the brown of the dust swirling around my arms and legs on the ground. He asked me what I was doing in a fairly casual tone, and I'm pretty sure my response was just a bunch of nervous stammering. He smiled and asked if I liked NEXTs, and at that point the biggest grin I ever had stretched across my face. From there he loaded up the camera on his truck, and after quickly running inside my house and yelling to my parents where I was going (to which I got a rather muffled "okay" from upstairs as they tried to wake up my older sister) Joshua drove us over to the garage, which wasn't far anyway.

After that day, the garage became my second home. I was inside nearly all of my free time, talking with Joshua, reading up on all the companies, and LYNXs, and NEXT parts. It was like spending time with the older brother I never had. I suppose for Joshua it must have been a similar feeling, as I came to learn he was an only child, and his parents had passed away a few years ago, just before the National Dismantlement War. I dreamed of flying my own NEXT one day, of seeing all these places Joshua told me about with my own eyes, without the gunfire and explosions destroying it around me.

As the LYNX War came to a close, Joshua grew increasingly anxious, and I knew he was worried about what would happen if we lost. One day, though, he returned with a beaming smile on his face and I knew what had happened. He told me he had destroyed the headquarters of Akvavit, our main rivals, and that Anatolia's Mercenary had taken down Rayleonard, their partner company. The war was effectively over, and for a few days, we enjoyed some peace and celebration, free of endless worry. But on the fourth day, that peace would be broken, very violently.

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><p>Stomping feet and screams trickled through the windows and doors into the garage, where I was stooping over to pick out a welding tool for Joshua. Normally he had a team of engineers crawling all over the NEXT, making repairs to get it ready for combat. But since the war ended, we had been alone in making a few minor adjustments and tune ups, and it gave us a lot of time to talk. The running and yelling grew louder, and I looked up at the windowed double doors and onto the dusty street. People ran past in a panic, talking incoherently and nearly knocking each other over in a mad dash away from the direction of the helipad. A clear, gruff voice called out above the noise of the crowd.<p>

"Everyone get down!"

I tried to look for the source from inside the windows, but I didn't dare try to step outside into the the stampede. Behind me, I could hear a lift groaning as Joshua slowly descended from White Glint's shoulder. The voice called out again, a little closer this time.

"Nobody move or we will fire!"

Without warning, a sharp noise erupted from outside, and the screaming intensified. I flinched in surprise, and it took me a few seconds to realize it was a gunshot.

"I SAID NOBODY MOVE A DAMN MUSCLE!"

An eerie quiet descended upon the crowd as everyone froze and dropped out of sight below the windows, probably hitting the dirt as quickly as possible. Joshua stepped up beside me. I edged closer to him as I whispered.

"Joshua, what's going on out there?"

When he turned to me, his normally smiling mouth was turned down in a grim line, and his eyes were narrowed and focused. For a moment I was taken aback by his dark expression, and I thought this is what he must be like when he's fighting. I began to grasp the severity of the situation.

"I don't know Ruby, but it sounds bad. I'll go have a look. Stay away from the windows, and if anything happens hide, do you understand?"

The voice from outside cut me off.

"Joshua O'Brien, come out with your hands up!"

I looked at my friend with a new fear in my eyes.

"Joshua don't g-"

"Do you understand!"

It was not a question this time. Solemnly, I nodded and began to back away towards White Glint, ending up behind the left leg, where I could lean out barely see the windows. Joshua watched me retreat into my hiding place before he turned and slowly opened the doors leading outside. I could see that all the people had indeed dropped to the ground, and were now covering their heads with their hands in a desperate attempt to feel safe. My stomach began to tighten as I tried to make sense of what was going on. Joshua stepped forward, hands raised, and addressed the man closest to him, standing with a large gun in what seemed to be a black military uniform.

"What's happening here? What are you doing! I thought you were on our side-"

The soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into Joshua's stomach, forcing him to double over as he groaned in pain. A second strike to his back forced Joshua onto his knees. The soldier who hit him spoke, and I could hear he was the one who had yelled out orders before.

"You listen to me, O'Brien. We asked very politely for your assistance on this one last job. It's vital for our survival that you accept it."

Joshua glared up in anger.

"You want me to kill him."

"He's too powerful to be left alive and turned against us. Before, we were asking. Now, it's an order. Kill Anatolia's Mercenary and destroy the colony."

Joshua groaned from his injury as he straightened up in defiance.

"I'm the only one with a chance of beating him, and you know it. What happens if I say no? You'll kill me?"

I try to forget this part, but I can't. The unchanging, unfeeling face of the monster as he nonchalantly raised the gun. Another gunshot. Joshua screaming in rage. A mother slumping to the ground as the crowd screamed in terror. The red trickle mixing with the brown dust into a terrible sludge as it flowed towards Joshua, staining his leg as he looked on, frozen. I burned the face of the soldier into my mind, so that I would never forget his face when I hunt him down and kill him. At the time though, I just retreated further back behind White Glint's leg, my face pale, stomach churning. I realized I was shaking, but could do nothing to stop it. The beast spoke, his voice no longer human, replaced with the guttural growl of some primal evil.

"We're ready to destroy everything you hold dear, Joshua. This colony will be erased from history as though it never existed," he spat, "unless you come with us."

A broken voice responded wearily from the ground.

"I will, just please don't hurt anyone else, please. Let me get White Glint and-"

The soldier cut him off roughly, pulling him to his feet with a brutish tug under Joshua's arm.

"You won't be needing White Glint now. We've got something special for you."

As the soldier turned and motioned to three other similarly dressed men, Joshua cast a short glance back over his shoulder. He met my tearful stare with a final, sorry smile. His lips moved as though he was trying to mouth something, but I was too far away to see if he was. With that, he was dragged off towards the helipad, and quickly passed from my view. That was the last time I saw my best friend.

I emerged from my hiding place as people began to stand up. Some of them ran off, while a few stayed behind to help with the woman who had been shot. Lightheaded from everything that had just happened, I stumbled over to the door frame, and my gaze fell upon the body that still lay in the dirt, unmoving. An older, bearded man who I vaguely recognized pressed his hand to her neck, but quickly pulled away and shook his head. He said something to the other adults here, and they ran off towards somewhere. I didn't really know and didn't really care. I couldn't take my eyes off the the woman. A dark haired girl, probably a little older than me, came crying over to the lifeless form in front of the garage. She fell across the woman and wept heavily. I started to tilt over and quickly sat down against the wall, more collapsing than sitting. I felt like I should be crying, but all of the water in me was already rolling down in a cold sweat as I shook uncontrollably. I somehow moved my leaden arms up to cradle my face, and finally wept dry tears.

I didn't find out until later that the old man, Abe Marsh, designer of White Glint, had asked one of his assistants to carry me home. I was told to rest, but that was hardly possible for the next three days, until another unexpected visit changed our lives forever.


	2. Chapter 2: Interlude

**This whole process is really great, and my writing is a little ahead of schedule! I may be able to pump out more than one chapter a week depending, but I will always have at least one finished every seven days unless I say specifically otherwise. **

**In any case, I hope you enjoy chapter 2!**

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><p>Chapter 2: Interlude<p>

I sat on the doorstep in the bright light shining down through clear skies, gazing towards the garage. My frazzled half-sister Yang sat next to me, eyes barely open as she struggled to stay awake in the early morning. I sighed to myself and tried not to think about what had happened three days ago. I kept going back to that gunshot. The red river. The crying girl. Joshua's last smile. I curled up into a ball on those steps, silent as the grave that I kept picturing my friend in.

"Ruby, he'll be fine, ya know? Joshua."

I tilted my head to view my sister, who now turned sleepily towards me and extended an arm around my small shoulders in an effort to provide some comfort. She pulled me in closer, and I had to spit some of her hair out of my mouth as it blew in my face. She had a lot of it, reaching down to her legs all golden and perfect, even when she just woke up. My hair, on the other hand, only reached to my neck, and was mostly black. Yang barely noticed my disturbance as she continued.

"He and Anatolia's Merc probably just talked it out and teamed up to go after whoever kidnapped him, is all."

"Yang, I hope you're right, but…" I paused as the words caught in my throat. "You weren't there when they took him. They murdered someone right in front of us. They threatened to kill all of us if he didn't destroy Anatolia." I turned to stare into my sister's lilac eyes. "I don't think Joshua would take a chance with the colony by trying to go after those men."

Yang relaxed her arm to give me some space, and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. She leaned back groggily as she responded.

"Either way, he's pretty tough. He took down a company by himself. One of the same companies that not too long ago helped overthrow an entire nation. Only one other LYNX can say the same."

"But it's the same LYNX that he was told to kill. Even if he does try to go through with it… I don't think he could beat him. Not after what happened at the abandoned city."

Yang turned in surprise, eyes fully open and alert. I was puzzled that she seemed not to have heard of this battle before. It was the climax of the LYNX War, after all. I sighed and began trying to educate my oblivious sister.

"Rayleonard and Akvavit assigned a super-elite squad of four NEXTs, under the command of the Rank 1 LYNX Berlioz, to hunt down and destroy all other NEXTs. Before they could make it too far, Rosenthal and Omer Science intercepted them at the former Peace City area."

Yang still looked confused.

"Where Amazigh was killed by The Mercenary."

Nothing.

"The Desert Wolf? Maghrib Liberation Front?"

As she squinted in thought, I could hear the gears turning in Yang's head. Turning, and subsequently grinding to a halt as she drew a blank.

"Where Joshua first met The Mercenary! Midway through the war! It was the mission that made The Mercenary famous!" I nearly yelled, waving my arms for emphasis. Yang's hair glowed in the sun like a lightbulb as she smiled with recognition.

"Oh, I remember that!"

I sighed again, and continued the rest of the recent history lesson.

"Anyway, Omer sent Mido Auriel, the rank 30 LYNX, and Rosenthal sent Leonhardt, the rank 4 LYNX, to stop Berlioz. They were severely outnumbered and called for support from Anatolia's Mercenary, but he arrived just as Leonhardt and Mido Auriel were both killed by Berlioz's team."

Yang leaned in closer on the step, enthralled by the story. I kept going, relishing my short role as teacher.

"The Mercenary's operator told him to retreat, but he didn't. He fought all four NEXTs at once, defeating each one in turn. Rank 15, Unseel. Rank 21, Rank 12, Zanni. And finally Rank 1, Berlioz. After that battle, Rayleonard and Akvavit had nothing left. They were both defenseless. That's why Joshua was able to destroy Akvavit. And that's why I don't think he will be able to defeat The Mercenary."

Yang sat in stunned silence, mulling over the facts in her head. I turned away as my mind began to wander back to Joshua's state. It was then that I felt the wind picking up. Dirt kicked up against myself and Yang as we looked for the source of the sudden gust. Yang was taller than me, and she stood up to see over the growing cloud of dust coming in from the road. I shielded my eyes as she craned her neck to see. Through the storm I could hear her yelling.

"It's the helipad! A huge transport helicopter is landing! It's carrying a NEXT! Looks like… something from Rayleonard!"

I stood up as well. There were very few, if any, Rayleonard LYNX left. And the only other person who used a Rayleonard model that would be _landing_ in the colony and not _attacking _the colony was…

"It's Anatolia's Mercenary!"

I broke into a run for the helipad, desperate to get some answers. Yang yelled something behind me but I couldn't hear it. A dozen questions raced through my head, as I sprinted into the wind. Where was Joshua? Why are you here? Why would someone want you dead? Isn't the war over? The helicopter lowered the NEXT onto the pad behind it, before gliding forward and landing on the pad closer to me. The massive craft was daunting, almost like a flying building. Four massive rotors slowed to a halt, and with them, the dust storm. A lone figure peeked out of a small door near the front of the helicopter. As I approached, I could see it was a young woman, with brown hair similar to Joshua's and cut at neck length, like mine. She stepped out of the helicopter and descended a short stairway extending from the door. Technicians rushed out from the control tower to meet her, so I kept my distance. Instead, I turned my attention to the NEXT on the other pad.

It was a Rayleonard 03-Aaliyah model, one of the first to be produced. And one of the fastest. Despite being classified as a midweight, the Aaliyah had the most powerful set of drive boosters in the world, making it a sleek, angular speed demon and a nightmare to slower ACs. For a moment, I forgot about my troubles as I saw The Mercenary's NEXT up close for the first time. Joshua had told me about it, and I had seen pictures, but it had never been brought here. The jet black frame was smooth and menacing, designed to cut through the air with as much ease as it cut through enemies. The air also passed through numerous gills on the shoulders, helping to cool the internal systems at the same time the NEXT was propelled forward. It was an ingenious system, and despite Rayleonard being one of our main opponents in the war, I had to hand it to them. They could make some quality equipment. And this one was armed to the teeth, with weapons from all manner of companies. On its back was an Akva Vit "Sultan" plasma cannon, one of the most powerful NEXT weapons ever designed, and an MSAC International "Cheyenne 02" spread missile launcher, great for pressuring the enemy. And his right hand had a Rayleonard "03-Motorcobra" machine gun, one of best and coolest looking machine guns ever! It can shred primal armor in seconds! And his left hand had a Bernard and Felix Foundation "051 ANNR" rifle, one of the best rifles ever made and-

"You seem to know a lot about NEXTs, kid."

I jumped as I realized I had been spouting all that knowledge out loud and I hadn't noticed the man walking up behind me. I thought back to my first meeting with Joshua. The same thing had happened, and as I turned around I half expected to be looking up at his familiar green eyes. Instead, I saw the tired, grey eyes of a war veteran. No, not grey. They were silver, like mine, just dull with exhaustion. He was about as tall as Joshua, but with sandy blonde hair that seemed to be almost greying at points. He wore an olive green trench coat, buttoned up to protect him from the dirt. I didn't think I had ever seen him before, but I didn't have time to ask as Yang pulled me away by my shoulder. The man turned as someone called out. I looked around as I was dragged and saw it was the woman from the helicopter. She was moving back inside it.

"Hector! They're coming! Get ready!"

"Ruby, come on, we have to go!" My sister yelled in my ear.

She was dragging me towards another helicopter, where I could see our parents ushering people aboard. I shook myself out of Yang's grip and continued running with her.

"What's going on?" I yelled. We kept running for the helicopter as she answered.

"I'm not sure, but some of us are evacuating the colony. Mom and Dad said we're going to a new, independent nation called Line Ark."

"Why?"

"They said it will be safer there, away from the corporations' influence. After what happened with Joshua, they think staying here is a risk."

I couldn't disagree with that. As we got to the helicopter, our parents ushered us inside quickly, before following and closing the doors. It was dark and cramped, and seats on either wall were filled up with people. I saw Abe Marsh sitting further up, closer to the cockpit and talking to the pilot. People were talking in hushed whispers, and everyone sounded frightened. I looked out one of the small, circular windows behind my chair. A large group of people were still outside, running towards a second helicopter parked across the pad. The older girl with the flowing black hair I had seen days ago, crying over the woman's body, was with them. She ran for the helicopter, alongside an even older boy with reddish brown hair.

Suddenly, a noise rang out from behind us. A very loud bang, but drawn out. Not a gunshot, it was something… bigger. I realized what was happening just as the helicopter I was looking at was hit by the first round. A streak of blinding yellow and white slammed into the front of the helicopter, boring a hole of flaming metal and glass through the inside. Everyone screamed around me, but I remained silent, watching the explosion with disbelief. The second round bisected the helicopter, leaving it a crippled, flaming mess of twisted metal on the pad. The people nearby were thrown to the ground. Some of the ones who were closer to the explosion didn't get up, and I could see chunks of metal stuck haphazardly in bodies. The girl and boy were farther back, and I could see she was unconscious. The boy struggled to his feet, lifted the girl over his shoulder, and ran away from the smoke and flame with the rest of the few survivors. I watched the group with apprehension, but thankfully no more rounds came their way. I could hear my father yelling up to the pilots to get us off the ground, and the helicopter shuddered to life as the dual blades began rotating.

As we lifted into the air, I heard more of the loud noises, which I now knew to be NEXT rifle fire. I closed my eyes and held onto Yang, who nearly smothered me in returning the embrace. My body was shivering with fear as I braced for impact. But the end never came. No explosion, no fiery ball of heat and flame. I cautiously pulled away and looked outside, only to find my view blocked by a black figure. More rifle fire came from behind it, and a greenish static field seemed to appear in between myself and the figure. Primal armor: the advanced NEXT shielding system that set them above normal Armored Cores. It was absorbing hits for our helicopter, and as we rose past the black mass I could see what was happening.

The Mercenary's NEXT shielded our helicopter with itself, as we made our way to a higher altitude. I began to see our attacker as we rose up above the the combatants. A green, spindly looking bipedal NEXT was positioned opposite The Mercenary, with a smoking rifle raised in its left hand. I would have identified it right away under normal circumstances, but I was lightheaded and overwhelmed with everything that was going on. It started to adjust its aim upwards to track us, but the second it did, The Mercenary attacked. A bright yellow flare exploded from the back of our guardian, rocking the helicopter and blinding me temporarily. The Mercenary burst forward with incredible speed, and the green NEXT frantically readjusted its aim and boosted backwards and to the side, barely dodging a burst of machine gun fire. They moved farther out from the colony, into the arid wastes just beyond our borders. I watched with a confused fascination, not sure whether to be terrified or amazed. The green NEXT was at a serious disadvantage. It was only armed with a rifle, scatter missile launcher, and laser blade. All of these weapons the Mercenary easily dodged, returning highly accurate fire with his own rifle and machine gun.

The NEXTs were moving so fast I could hardly keep up with them. Blinding flashes obscured my view as the two pilots boosted left and right. Dust kicked up from the ground as mechanical feet carved through the thin topsoil. Both NEXTs were built for speed, and both were top of the line. But I could tell Anatolia's Mercenary was winning. His primal armor barely activated to deflect rifle fire, while the green NEXT was almost completely hidden as its armor worked in overdrive to protect the frame from a bright yellow string of bullets that seemed to almost tether the Motorcobra machine gun to the green NEXT. They traded shots at mid range for a while as we moved farther away from the battle, passing over our former home. The Mercenary let up on his torrent of fire for a moment to arm his plasma cannon, and the green NEXT made a wild charge with its laser blade, closing the gap between them with so much speed I thought it had teleported in a flash of light. With incredible precision, The Mercenary boosted to his right, then forward. As he coasted just past the bright laser blade, he fired his left arm boosters backwards and his right arm forwards, rotating him around in a blur to face the rear of our attacker. The green NEXT was mere feet away from the tip of the now active plasma cannon.

The Mercenary fired in an incredible display of destructive power, as a massive burst of what could only be described as balled lightning erupted from the tip of the plasma cannon and slammed into the rear of the green NEXT. The primal armor sputtered and died, leaving the frame completely exposed. Liquid-like fire spurted from the rear of the NEXT as the plasma bored through the core, sending sparks and molten metal in all directions from the point of impact. There was no way the pilot had survived. The green shell slumped forward as it lost power and control, collapsing heavily into the dirt and sending a shockwave that kicked up a small dust storm. Steam rose from the red-hot hole in the back of the frame, and a second, smaller explosion came from the missile pod as it caught fire, knocking it away from the NEXT and nearly severing its arm.

The Mercenary was unmoving over the smoking hulk, and as I stared in awe I could see the huge transport helicopter moving to pick him up as we turned away. With such power and skill, it's no wonder he defeated Berlioz. He defeated this LYNX in minutes, with barely a scratch. I shuddered thinking about how Joshua would fare against him.

The fresh battlefield fell out of my vision as our helicopter picked up speed and began moving in another direction. Calming down from my rush of adrenaline and excitement, I began to think about what had happened. Some of us were fleeing to a supposed safe zone, away from the companies. This is happening after a group kidnapped Joshua and told him to destroy Anatolia, but now Anatolia's Mercenary is here protecting us. So… maybe Yang was right! Joshua had teamed up with The Mercenary to stop them. So he sent The Mercenary here to protect us while he hunted down his kidnappers. But that NEXT… not just any group would have a top of the line NEXT on call just to enforce a destruction threat.

I racked my brain thinking of all the active LYNXs I knew of that used a bipedal. Aabye was working for Rayleonard, but he was rumored to have gone missing just before the battle at the abandoned city and besides, he used a red Aaliyah. Sara Angelic was alive, but used a larger Tellus model NEXT. The only lightweight, green bipedal user was… Palmette! An original pilot from the National Dismantlement War, rank 13. She used a green Type-Judith model, the same one I must have just seen destroyed! And the Type-Judith was produced by… Omer Science Technology. I clenched my fists in rage as I sat in the cold, metal chair. Omer had been allied with us throughout the war. They were the ones who initially employed Joshua! And they had betrayed us!

I relaxed my hands and tried to take some deep breaths, although my behavior must have startled my sister. She turned to me quizzically.

"Ruby," she asked, in a soft whisper. "Are you okay?"

I turned to her with a fire in my eyes.

"That NEXT belonged to Omer, the company that hired Aspina to develop weapons and employed Joshua as a mercenary. And it must have been their men who took Joshua away and murdered that poor woman."

Yang looked on in disbelief as I explained my revelation.

"Joshua must have escaped, and they sent that NEXT here to punish us for it! But The Mercenary got here faster. He destroyed that LYNX, and now we are going to Line Ark to be safe from more attacks."

Yang growled in anger, and I thought for a minute that her eyes turned red. Her hair seemed to glow even in the dark of the helicopter.

"He'll get them Ruby. Joshua and The Mercenary won't let Omer get away with this. They'll take down the company like they took down Rayleonard and Akvavit. And Joshua will make that monster pay for what he did."

I nodded in agreement, happy to have some small victory after these days of horror and worry. Suddenly exhausted, I began to lean back in my chair. Yang stretched her arm out behind my head, and I gratefully used it as a cushion, resting against her shoulder. I felt her place her head over mine as she gently stroked my hair and we tried to get some sleep on the flight to our new home of Line Ark.

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><p><strong>Special thanks to thermalsnipern7 for alerting me to a timeline calculation error, which has been remedied.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to the Earth

**Chapter 3 arrives! **

**As always, any comments and advice are greatly appreciated! Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 3: Welcome to the Earth<p>

With a sudden jolt, I awoke to the metallic shuddering of my chair as our helicopter touched down. Light streamed in through the small windows, forcing me to blink a few times as I adjusted my vision. I didn't know how long we slept, but we were no longer in the arid wastes of Aspina. All around me I saw towering buildings and canals filling a vast ocean that was otherwise empty as far as I could see. More helicopters were landing on pads adjacent to mine, and people were walking en masse towards something out of view to my right. I tried to move, but found myself restrained by Yang's bulk.

The blonde's head was still resting on mine, and her hand had closed around my shoulder. We had both passed out during the trip, but while I was a rather light sleeper, Yang could sleep through a war just outside our house. I slowly reached up and pried her fingers apart from my arm, but she failed to stir.

"Yang…" I whispered. I reached up and gently prodded her face, pushing her cheek into a funny looking position that reminded me of a fish. I giggled quietly as I kept poking. "Yang." I said with a little more force. Nothing. I normally wouldn't do this and risk waking the sleeping bear, but I had no choice. Cautiously, I grasped a small lock of hair and gave a very slight tug, just enough to make the strands taut. Yang stirred as though on command, retracting her arm and pulling her head away quickly. She rapidly blinked her eyes and looked for all the world like she had just woken up late on a calm Saturday, and not at all like a seventeen year old refugee fleeing a war zone.

"Ruby, are we there yet?" she asked. I didn't have to answer as she looked out the window too, realizing we were stopped. A familiar hand cupped my shoulder. I smiled when I turned and saw my mother Summer leaning over me. Her eyes were tired, but her face was still as bright as ever as she spoke to us.

"Hey baby girls, we're here. Your father's up ahead, arranging our housing. Come on, let's go see our new home."

Suddenly I realized we were the last ones in the helicopter, and an eerie quiet descended as my mother finished speaking. The empty seats echoed in my mind with the ghosts of those who were left behind in Aspina. Charred, shredded with metal, lying on the ground unmoving. Yang broke me out of my stupor with a playful shove.

"Get up Ruby! Don't you wanna get out of this tiny little tin can?"

I smiled affirmatively and rose to my feet, a little wobbly. Quickly I recovered and followed my mother outside, onto the helipad. The sun was bright as it beamed down on us like a spotlight, but I didn't have to cover my eyes this time. The helipad was similar to the one in Aspina, but it was situated on a large building that gave me a view of the surrounding structures. They were mostly rectangular skyscrapers, similar to the office buildings of the old, pre-Dismantlement War world. Small canals ran between the buildings, making good use of the watery environment. While at first glance this safe haven seemed pristine and perfect to me, upon closer inspection I noticed something disconcerting.

The canals were molded and worn down from erosion, nearly flooded, and the once white bridges were darkening with age. The former majesty of the buildings was decaying alongside their walls and paint. Windows were dark, silent, ominous. The still water and dilapidated ruins were completely devoid of life. Looking down, I noticed that the helipad was not in fact situated on one of those buildings, but rather a platform extending from some other, larger structure. Turning to follow my mother and sister, I got my first look at the real Line Ark.

My jaw fell unrestrained, eyes widened, as I craned my neck to look up at the incredible feat of engineering before me. Huge support beams as thick as the buildings in the ocean behind me were layered in a triangular pattern coming out of the water, supporting a massive highway that extended for miles in either direction, forming an open-air tunnel. The highway itself was split into three main regions, forming its own enclosed triangle within the supports. Midway through the large beams on either side, a smaller highway was connected. I could the entrance from where I stood on the helipad, and above I could see the larger, central highway that rested at the top of the triangle. Dozens of old runways extended off the side of the central highway where it connected to the support beams, although they were empty.

What really made Line Ark stand out as an architectural marvel was the main building. Extending down to the supplementary highways on the side of the support pillars, two colossal, uniform towers rose high up into the air, pinching the sun in the space between them. In contrast to the dying offices, the towers were rounded and modern, with smooth edges and clean surfaces. The entire structure was a dark brown that seemed to absorb the sunlight as it hit. It was the single most impressive thing I had viewed in my life up till then. Never before had I seen a maritime city, much less buildings so massive they would dwarf a NEXT. My eye caught a glare off the side of the building, and I saw that the tower walls facing parallel to the highway were made completely of glass. Running down the outside wall was another gargantuan window, clear enough that I could see the bustle of people going about work. This had to be where everyone was headed.

Looking back down to Earth, I saw Yang locked in the same awed stare I had just escaped. My mother was just ahead of her, beckoning with a hand. Further along towards the highway gates, I could see our father though the crowd of people, talking with someone who appeared to be a security guard.

"Ruby, Yang, let's go, your father's waiting!" my mother called. I walked forward briskly, catching Yang's limp hand as I sped past, dragging her along with me as I chased after our mother. Yang quickly straightened up and began walking on her own, although she still held my hand.

"What do you think sis? Isn't it huge?" Yang asked, eyes beaming as she turned to me.

"I think huge is an understatement Yang. This thing is colossal. Monumental. And now it's our home! There must be so many places to explore!" I nearly squealed as we walked into the highway gate. The heat of the sunlight disappeared and was replaced with the heat of the crowd as the three of us tried to locate my father. My mother expertly navigated the sea of people, which at the moment was much more active than the actual ocean hundreds of feet below. Elbows were everywhere, and found myself constantly muttering tiny apologies as I came into contact with them, although I doubt it was all my fault.

Yang had always been taller than me, and she took charge in the undulating crowd, pushing through people with steadfast determination as she pulled me forward next to Mom. Soon enough, our little triumvirate was at the front of the gate. My father was speaking with a man in a navy blue uniform, wearing a small, tan patch on his shoulder that displayed a simple black line with a triangle emerging from the median: Line Ark. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the roar of the other refugees, but soon my father turned and walked over to us as the guard was approached by another frantic parent. He addressed my mother first.

"Summer, honey, would you happen to have a data pad? Or even pen and paper?"

My mother felt the pockets of her coat, but came up with nothing. Reaching behind my back, I produced a small, basic data pad from a magnetic clip on my belt. It was the one I used to take notes on NEXTs, companies, and LYNXs when I spoke with Joshua and helped in the garage.

"Here, would this work?" I offered. My father accepted the pad gratefully, and held it up in one hand so we could all see.

"Alright, when we get inside the main building, Ruby, Yang, you two will be directed to a room. This is where we'll be living now, so once you get there make sure there aren't any problems with it. Your mother and I will be heading to the requisition desk with this data pad," He pointed at it with his other hand for emphasis, "so we need everyone to work together on a list of what we think we'll need. These are basic necessities for now, anything else would be too taxing on the kind people here who are sheltering us. Everyone understand?"

We nodded in approval, and the data pad was pressed into my mother's hands. It suddenly dawned on me that we had grabbed literally nothing as we fled Aspina. All we had were the clothes on our backs and whatever was in our pockets. And my data pad. All my little scraps of tech were gone, spare parts saved over years of search and small purchases. I had planned on building Yang a bike for her birthday, which would be approaching quickly now. Disheartened, I knew I would just have to find something else for her.

Leaning over the pad alongside my mother and sister, I started listing off everything I could think of that we would need. A change of clothes, for one. A toothbrush and toothpaste. My mother typed furiously as Yang and I both spoke at once. Pajamas, a comb and hairdryer, maybe another pair of clothes, shampoo and soap, a welding torch and face guard.

The others stopped and stared at that last one, and I blushed as I studied my feet. That probably wasn't completely necessary… but it would have been really nice to have. I doubted any other people were asking for welding torches. Just as Yang opened her mouth to add another item, a loud voice echoed through the gateway.

"Groups A, B, and C! Please report to the front of the tunnel! We will be loading the bus shortly!"

My father, who had been standing back letting the ladies do all the work, quickly motioned us forward.

"We're group B, let's go."

We quickly walked forward, and were caught in the surge of refugees from the other groups as we pushed to the front. The guard who had been speaking before with my father now stepped out ahead of us and barred the exit to the highway, alongside about half a dozen others, all similarly dressed.

"Everyone, please step back! Don't push! Stay away from the highway!"

A low rumbling overtook the roar of the crowd as an eight-wheeled vehicle rolled up behind the guards. It was a dark grey, almost faded looking. It seemed to be made of some kind of dense metal, which was surprising for a civilian transport vehicle. There were no windows in the surface, and the front only had two tiny viewports mounted atop what appeared to be a heavily armored cone on the nose. The entire thing looked less like a bus and more like a tank. But why would we have an armored transport in this supposed safe zone? If the war wasn't here then why would…wait. Requisition desk. That was what my father had said earlier. Not shop or store. Requisition desk. You didn't requisition household supplies, you bought them. You requisitioned equipment. Military equipment. I put two and two together and turned to my father as group A walked towards the rear of the APC.

"Dad, is Line Ark a military force?"

He stood silent in thought for a brief time, his dark grey eyes closed, focused, before responding.

"Not exactly, Ruby. Line Ark was an abandoned corporate center meant to be a headquarters for some unknown company. Whatever corporation built it was then completely eliminated during a war, so the building was abandoned. Yesterday, Aspina received word that the survivors from Anatolia had moved into this area and were starting up an independent, maritime city-state. They wanted to go under the radar of the companies, but they still organized a rudimentary defense force under the guidance of Emil Gustav, the de facto leader of Anatolia. He said that anyone from Aspina was welcome to join them at Line Ark and that Anatolia's Mercenary would be coming to protect us as we made the trip. Your mother and I started packing, but we weren't ready for that attack. I'm sorry."

"Don't be Dad, there was no way you could have known we would be attacked by Omer so quickly. But what do you mean _survivors_ from Anatolia? Were they attacked too?"

"Ruby, let's talk about this later, ok?"

"Group B, please board!" the guard yelled. We broke off our conversations and hastily walked to the back of the "bus". The only entrance was a thick, hatch-like door. Inside, the transport was lined with seats much like in the helicopter. I was in no hurry to return to such a dark and cold space, but at least we weren't in any immediate danger. My family was shuffled into the chairs rapidly, pushed up against strangers and each other. I sat across from my father. There was very little light coming from an overhead bulb, and I could barely see him. Leaning forward, I pressed him for information.

"So what's going on with Anatolia?" I asked. I didn't hear a reply as we were cut off yet again. At the head of the chairs stood a guard from Line Ark. I heard the hatch slam shut as the last of group C boarded, and the guard began speaking in a gruff voice.

"On behalf of Line Ark, I welcome you all. Most of you are arriving from Aspina, although we may have a few late arrivals from Anatolia on board as well. As you heard, Line Ark is a new, independent city-state, meaning we are free of corporate control." The transport lurched forward as we began rolling down the highway towards the main building. "All are welcome, as long as you behave properly and remain on-site. We don't want to attract unwanted attention. Now, when we arrive at the central complex, you will be directed to a room by another guard. While the complex is very large, we are also taking in a large number of refugees, so unless there is a serious issue, room changing is non-negotiable for these first few days while everything is sorted out. Once you are settled, the requisition desk for any supplies you need is in the main lobby where you came in. Are there any questions? No? Then I wish you all good luck." The man finished just as the transport came to a stop. The rear door flew open and people began to funnel out. My mother and Yang got out before me, and my father motioned for me to go before him. I stepped out onto the highway and quickly jumped to the sidewalk, which ran across a large area and ended at a set of glass double doors. We were in a large, open area, but it was still more enclosed than the rest of the highway had been. This must be at the base of the towers.

"Mom, did you finish the list?" I asked.

"Yes Ruby. I don't think we should ask for a welding torch right now. I'm sure they'll need them for other things."

"I wasn't asking about that, I was just curious if you finished…" I replied, still disappointed. We entered the great double doors into a pristine lobby that reminded me of an Aspina research lab. There was an elevator bank sitting across from us, at the end of the path, and to our sides were long, winding desks. The few secretaries were being swarmed by people, and our parents shared an irritated look.

"Alright girls, we're going to check out one of these desks, why don't you two go to the elevators and find our room. We'll meet you up there when we're done." my mother said.

Yang and I nodded and we began walking towards the elevators, where a guard stood with an electronic clipboard, stopping everyone before they entered. We stood in a line for maybe a minute or two before it was our turn. The guard didn't even look up at us as he spoke.

"Last name?"

"Xiao Long." my sister answered. I would let her do the talking.

The man scribbled furiously on the clipboard. "Number of occupants?"

"Four."

After a brief silence, the man spoke. "There's an opening on floor four. Take any elevator, and your family will be in room forty, on the left."

"Thanks."

We stepped into the closest elevator and pressed four. My head rushed as we rose higher and higher. The doors opened up on a large open space, similar in design to the lobby we just came from. But this room was above ground and had a much higher ceiling, with light streaming in through the massive window that served as the wall across from the elevator bank. People were walking around, talking with each other in relative calm. Closer to the window there was a small cafe area, and on the other side of the room, a gym. Children stood against the wall, faces and hands pressed against the glass which overlooked the glittering ocean and old city. It almost felt normal again, seeing everyone going about so casually, like they hadn't just been forced from their homes. I couldn't imagine why this place would ever be abandoned.

The guard said our room was on the left, so I turned and began walking. Yang followed suit, and we quickly found a long hallway flush with the elevator banks, near the end of the building. After a few steps, the outer wall gave way to another massive window, one I had seen from the helipad. Both of us stopped as we looked outside. From where we were, we could see the main highway extending below us, reaching far into the distance as though it would never end.

"Some view, huh." Yang said, a little breathlessly.

"Yeah, it is." I replied slowly. A small detail had caught my attention. Moving closer to the glass, I noticed something odd about the window. I raised my hand and tapped it. The material felt different from the glass of the windows at home. Rougher, thicker. At first I chalked it up to advanced age and lack of maintenance, but then I remembered where we were. A bigwig corporate center, with the best protection money could buy, in this case, from Kojima particles. The windows were made of Aegisterean glass, which could resist radiation even from a NEXT flying right outside. I knew little about the process of Aegisterilizing, but it could be done to almost any building material, and was very important for building NEXTs and anything working in close proximity to Kojima systems.

"Ruby! I found our room!"

I turned to see Yang's head and waving arm sticking from a doorway farther down the hall. I pulled away from the window and quickly made my way to her. She disappeared into the door as I approached, and as I looked inside she wheeled around, standing in the center of our room. There were two beds against the opposite wall, a bathroom off to my right, and a small kitchen area to my left, with a table and some chairs. In the center was a two-person sofa across from a news screen, with a tall lamp on the side closer to the beds. A ceiling fan cast ample light on everything, and I could see it was all very clean and unused. Yang threw her arms out in a grand gesture as she presented the room with a huge smile on her face.

"Well! What do you think! Cozy, isn't it?"

I laughed at Yang's over-enthusiasm. It was cozy indeed, and while it was a little small, I later found that we lucked out with one of the bigger common rooms in Line Ark. I then took the first step into my new home for the next seven years. Immediately I noticed a problem. There were only two beds. And while I loved my sister dearly, she was a cover hog, and I preferred not getting locked in a bear hug while I slept, like what had happened on the helicopter. Thankfully, Yang solved this problem quickly.

"Dibs on the couch!" she exclaimed as she dove for the sofa, stretching out on her back and quickly shifting into a sleeping position.

"Really Yang? You're already tired?" I asked. She glared up at me, a little hurt.

"It doesn't seem like there's much else to do for now. Mom and Dad said they'd meet us here."

"Don't you want to explore, Yang?"

"I'd like to explore these cushions. And we can't just leave Mom and Dad."

"It'll be fine, please, it won't take long." I begged. I gave Yang a big smile and my best puppy eyes. She conceded quickly.

"Alright, fine." She said as she sprung up lithely from the couch. "Where to?"

I paused as I considered our options. This floor seemed almost entirely dedicated to living space, so that left either going up or going down. Floor four seemed like an odd number to be the lowest residential area, so I figured floors one, two and three were of similar design. A sudden though occurred and I walked briskly to the elevator, Yang following behind silently. We stepped inside the first one that opened, and I read over the buttons.

"What do you think Yang?" I asked. The floors were listed up through twenty five.

"How about… thirteen?" she answered. I looked at her disapprovingly, and she shrugged her shoulders with a grin. "Well, if we're going to find something interesting, that's the floor it will be on." I sighed as I pushed the button and we began to rise.


	4. Chapter 4: Gold

**In the wake of RWBY World of Remnant 2, Chapter 4 approaches!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Gold<p>

Looking back on this event, I probably should have thanked those stupid boys for approaching us as we exited the elevator, or else I may have never met The Mercenary. Three of them saw us as we looked around the room, which was setup similarly to the fourth floor, save for the gym and cafe being replaced with multiple rooms filled with large, boxlike machines I took to be combat simulators. The first boy peeled off from the wall he was leaning against and began walking straight towards us. The other two quickly followed suit, flanking their leader. They all seemed to be Yang's age, or maybe a year or two older. They wore tan bodysuits, thick with padding around the torso and joints that I recognized as the uniform of a normal AC pilot. Or in their case, pilots in training.

The leader slicked back his short, brown hair with a palm as he stepped up to Yang trying to show off his muscles. She rolled her eyes as she turned to face him, obviously unimpressed. Undeterred, the leader began talking, with a false suaveness in his voice.

"Hey blondie, haven't seen you around here before."

Yang, ever playing innocent with boys, responded in the most naive voice she could muster while I stood silently behind her. She was much more… femininely endowed, than I was, so I could usually get away with avoiding strange and kind of scary older boys when she was around. Sometimes I think she liked the attention.

"Oh no, we just got here from Aspina." She extended a hand, causing the leader to recoil in surprise that his apparent charm had been ignored. One of his goons raised a hand to suppress a chuckle as the leader hesitantly shook Yang's hand. "I'm Yang Xiao Long. And this is my little sister Ruby." she said as she stepped aside and pulled me forward. I withered a little under the gaze of these older boys, and tried my best to respond. I didn't like talking to strangers too much, especially ones who were obviously sleazy and not to be trusted.

"Uh, hi. I'm Ruby." I stuttered. They ignored me and focused on Yang. The leader spoke again with renewed confidence.

"So Yang, how about you come check out the simulators with us? They can give quite a rush." he said with a sly grin.

"Oh, that sounds great! Did you hear that Ruby? They're going to show us the AC combat simulators!" Yang said, shooting me a fake smile. I could detect the sarcasm in her voice as she spoke, but I'm certain all the boys heard was a gullible blonde falling into their trap. Except for one detail.

"Uh, just you, Yang. Your sister can't be in there, it's too… dangerous." The leader said. One of his goons chimed in, raising a hand up to his neck, just above where my head would be.

"Yeah, you have to be this tall to ride, sweetheart." he said with a sneer. Yang's smile instantly disappeared.

"That's too bad boys. Maybe you can show us around some other time. Come on Ruby, let's go back to the room, Mom and Dad are probably waiting." She said as she turned away, pulling me towards the elevator. One of the boys reached a hand out and grabbed her shoulder roughly, and she froze.

"Hey, where do you think-"

"Take your hand off me. You have three seconds." Yang growled, dead serious. The boys froze, until the leader spoke up, his hand still on Yang's shoulder.

"I said, where do you think you're going?"

"One."

The leader tried to pull Yang back, but she was locked in place and wouldn't budge. I stood off to the side, knowing what would happen if that moron didn't let go.

"C'mon blondie, it'll be fun." he muttered.

"Two." Yang said. Her hands slowly tensed up at her sides, unnoticed by the boys. The goons were backing up, but the leader remained arrogant in his dominance. It wouldn't last long.

"Alright you Aspina trash, I won't ask you again!"

"Three."

Yang's right arm shot up and caught the leader's hand in a vice-like grip. His face contorted in pain and terror as she bent down and reached up with her other hand, wrenching his arm forward and catapulting him above her shoulder. Releasing the boy mid-swing, Yang sent him flying across the room into the opposite wall, where he collided with a resounding thud. The padded suit should have lessened the pain, but he still stood up in a daze. Yang turned to the two goons, who hesitated before charging forward, fists raised. It was a huge mistake.

Yang ducked a wild swing from the closest one, then brought a fist straight up into his ribs. The sheer force knocked him over, and he hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. His friend let out a battle cry as he jabbed forward, but Yang turned away the punch with her forearm. With a deadly ferocity, Yang struck him twice under his outstretched arm before winding back and belting the goon in the jaw, dropping him straight to the ground.

I sighed as I watched it all happen. I had seen it many times. Boys think my sister is just some dumb blonde and fail to realize it takes intelligence and strength to become the boxing champion of Aspina. The leader had fully recovered by this point, and ran as quietly as he could at my sister's backside. I began to shout a warning, but I didn't have to. A foot appeared in the boy's way, sending him spiraling down to the floor again, his padded suit letting out a comical fart of air. Yang and I both laughed aloud at the sight, and the boy's face turned a bright shade of red. I looked over to see our protector standing over the boy, shaking his head at him. He wore a familiar green trench coat, and had short cut, sandy hair that was greying at the ends. His voice was firm and confident as he addressed the kid on the ground.

"Cardin, what are you doing? I just got back and you're already causing trouble." he hoisted the boy roughly to his feet. "If you have time to fight ladies, you have time to fight ACs. You're not leaving that simulator until your team survives the Silent Avalanche run or you die of exhaustion."

"B-but sir, no one can survive that! Silent Avalanche can take out NEXTs! All we have are muscle tracers and normals!"

"All that Silent Avalanche has are normals too. But they don't spend their time screwing around and harassing strangers. Maybe you would like the lady to take your place? She'd probably be better at it than you." The man winked sideways at Yang, and we both laughed more at the boy.

"No sir, I'll get started right away." He mumbled as he trudged off towards the combat simulators. His two friends followed silently behind, bent over with pain. The man turned to us fully.

"I apologize you two. Those boys from Anatolia just joined the Line Ark defense corps, and think they're hot stuff. They won't bother you again. My name's Hector, by the way." he said. I studied him with recognition that was obviously not shared by Yang. She introduced us both, and Hector turned to me as I stared at him. He remembered too.

"You were the girl at the helipad, weren't you Ruby? I thought I recognized you both from somewhere. You're lucky you have such a good sister looking out for you." he said with a smile. Yang elbowed me with an arrogant grin, though I shrugged her off. "You know quite a lot about NEXTs, young lady. It's pretty impressive for someone your age."

"Joshua taught me about them. I helped work on White Glint with him." I said. Hector's eyes turned down slightly.

"Hmmm. Interesting."

"Did you know Joshua?"

"I've met him before."

"Do you know where he is? And where Anatolia's Mercenary is? Are they hunting down Omer?"

Hector froze up when I mentioned Omer, obviously distressed. Yang stepped closer to me, tensing up.

"You know Omer was behind the attack?" Hector asked quietly.

"Yeah, they sent Palmette after us in Aspina, but The Mercenary took her down in seconds. You were there, you saw it, right?"

"I did see it, a little too close up for my tastes. You really do know your stuff, Ruby."

"So do you know where Joshua is? Didn't he ask Mr. Gustav to send The Mercenary to protect us?" I asked. Hector didn't reply, and I started to feel a little cold. The fear that had gnawed at me somewhere deep inside was surfacing, and I began to doubt Yang's theory about all this. "Where's Joshua? What's going on?" I cried, more loudly. Yang wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she realized the meaning behind Hector's silence.

"Hector, please tell me!" I yelled. Taking a step back, Hector sat down on a nearby chair, and raised his hands up to his face. He stared right through them, as if they were not his own. I was about to yell again, when I noticed the trench coat had parted at his legs, revealing a white jumpsuit. Unlike the tan, normal jumpsuit with padding, this one had a thinner profile and less haphazard positioning of the material contained inside. It was not filled with foam pads, it was filled with a gel. Neural interface gel. Made specifically for LYNXs. I looked up at Hector with wide eyes.

"You're Anatolia's Mercenary." I whispered. People were looking at us now from the training rooms. I didn't notice, or care, but Yang shot them all a look that could cut through primal armor, and everyone turned back to their own business. Hector met my gaze with watering eyes.

"Yes, I am."

"Please, where is he?" I asked once more, almost wishing Hector didn't answer. But he did.

"Joshua is dead, Ruby."

I covered my mouth to keep from screaming as the tears came pouring down my face. My legs went limp, and Yang carefully lowered me to my knees, holding my head tight against her as she tried to soothe me.

"Ruby, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." she cooed. It did little to help stem my crying. Joshua was really gone. I would never again see his green eyes, full of life. His proud and caring smile. Never speak with him again, never tune White Glint with him again. All that I had were my memories. His last smile, and whatever he had tried to say to me. Now I would never know.

I pulled my hands away from my face and tried to wipe my cheeks, but it only made my eyes water more. Yang leaned back to give me some room as I sat up straight and looked to Hector, still sniffling as I tried to compose myself long enough to ask my final question.

He sat in the chair like a statue, watching me on the ground as I mourned the loss of my best friend. His eyes were red and watery, and although no tears were flowing, I could see that he was in a similar state of despair. But from the way he was looking at his hands, I knew it would be much worse than what I had initially thought.

"D-did, you…" I stuttered, almost breaking out crying again. Hector knew what I meant to ask.

"I tried so hard not to. Joshua was using this massive prototype NEXT. It was all I could do to disable it. But the reactor had a flaw. It exploded as I went to get him." He raised his hands to rub his eyes. "Right afterwards, another NEXT attacked Anatolia. The LYNX was Celo, I'm sure you know him. He was the clean up crew, sent to kill anyone who survived. He failed." Hector's tone grew angry, and his hands now curled into fists. "And by now, Omer is spreading lies about me, claiming I'm an anti-establishment extremist. Maybe I should be. We shouldn't let Omer get away with this!" He sighed as he calmed down. "But for now, we have to watch our backs, and protect the city. Joshua was killed trying to save you all, and I will honor his last intent. I'll die before anyone touches Line Ark."

My eyes narrowed in hatred, which I focused on the company that had taken everything from me. The company that had taken the woman from that girl. That had taken Joshua. That had tried to take us all, had it not been for The Mercenary. At the moment, I was furious with Hector for what he'd done, but in the end I found it in myself to forgive him. Joshua had been his friend too, and I could see Hector would live with the torment of what happened every day. He wouldn't forget, and neither would I.

* * *

><p>In the wake of the LYNX War, Omer rose to dominance amongst the companies, who temporarily rallied together and formed a new coalition dubbed The League, in order to preserve the balance of power between themselves. This plan failed, of course, and The League quickly became the plaything of Omer Science Technology, save the company Global Armaments. Known for their independent streak, they had strong sympathies towards Line Ark, in no small part due to gratitude for Hector's assistance in toppling their rival, the Bernard and Felix Foundation, and for saving an entire GA colony. GA was also a very powerful company, and helped rebuild BFF into a partnership with them, establishing two outlying mavericks in The League that could potentially rival Omer.<p>

GA and BFF provided us with all manner of supplies, surreptitiously, of course. Food, weapons, normals, NEXT parts. Their contributions kept us alive as The League came to oppose Line Ark. Thankfully, the threat of retribution from Hector was enough to stave off any violence, so we lived in relative peace.

Yang's birthday came up soon, and with much fanfare in our small room. Our father bought her a pair of expensive, antique aviator glasses, which from then on she always had on her person, and our mother bought her a new set of fresh, bright yellow boxing gloves for training in the gym. My present was a little more situational. It was a homemade AC pilot's helmet, with a section cut out of the back near the bottom to allow Yang's golden locks to hang down, and painted a dark brown color. Mom and Dad were both surprised by this, and even more when Yang announced that she was going to enlist in the Line Ark defense corps, which I already knew.

She was quite the sight in her padded pilot's suit, with the matching helmet. The color looked good on her, but the padding stuck out awkwardly and was pretty funny looking. Yang took it all with a smile, and disappeared inside one of the combat sims, wearing her aviators even in the dark of the box.

* * *

><p>After a year, Yang was at the top of her class, and I was still in mandatory general schooling. It was very boring apart from the tech classes, and only served as a barrier between myself and my goals. Yang was soon eligible for NEXT testing, and she invited me to come and watch. Only certain people possessed the psychic trait that made them compatible with the NEXT piloting technology, but even then only the best were selected. There wasn't much to see, she just stepped into one of the big, black, machine boxes indistinguishable from the regular combat simulators, and after a few minutes, came out with a wide smile on her face.<p>

"Ruby! I'm compatible! I can fly NEXTs!" she screamed, throwing her arms in the air whimsically. She ran over and gave me a huge bear hug, nearly squishing the life out of me.

"That's great Yang… I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry." she said as she relaxed her embrace. She was still full of energy as she bounced up and down on her heels. "If I'm compatible, you probably are too! Isn't it a genetic thing anyway?"

"Yeah, you're right. But I've still got a year until I can join the defense corps."

"Ah, but you'll ace that. You probably know more about NEXTs than some of the instructors. Except Hector."

I nodded in agreement. General schooling seemed to pass by faster now, knowing what was waiting for me in a few years. Yang was the only one in her class who was compatible with NEXTs and competent enough to fly them, scoring a 358 of 442 in Allegorical Manipulation System synchronization, an above average rating. High AMS scoring indicated the psychic ability of a pilot, and determined how proficient they would be with their NEXTs, which were controlled directly by neural impulses through their special gel suits. Yang now shifted from normal AC combat simulations to one-on-one training with Hector.

I barely saw her most days, and when I did see her, she was tired but confident, and excited to get out of Line Ark and take the fight to our enemies. Yang had signed a contract with GA, and soon after my eighteenth birthday, she headed out for their headquarters in the Pacific to build her NEXT and begin work. She called frequently, but every now and then she would return, although she couldn't bring her NEXT Ember Celica here because it would be tracked by the other League members. GA and BFF had no desire to be openly affiliated with what many others deemed a terrorist state, so Yang usually had to sneak in at night, and could only stay for a few days. She visited me a couple times in combat school, to give me a few pointers and talk with Hector. He actually asked her to teach a class once, which was quite a show. There were burns on the floor for weeks, and a large hole in one of the walls. It's better that I don't explain.

As it turns out, I did know more than most of the instructors, and in Hector's combat theory classes I was the only one who wasn't passing by the skin of their teeth. The year went by quickly, and like my sister I ended up at the top of my class, making me eligible for NEXT testing after I turned nineteen. Yang showed up for the event, and as I walked towards the machine, she gently clasped my shoulder. She pulled me back carefully and turned me around. Her hair had grown even longer over the years, as she got taller. But it seemed dull and tired in the afternoon light streaming in from the window, and the twenty-one year old was uncharacteristically serious.

"Ruby… whatever happens, you'll be fine, ok?" she said quietly. I looked at her in confusion. This was very unlike her.

"What, you mean if I'm not compatible? It's genetic, remember? There's almost no chance I'm not compatible."

"Even so… If you aren't, you can still pilot a normal and defend Line Ark."

"I know. But I won't need to, because I'll be fighting alongside you in a NEXT." I paused, studying my sister's eyes. She looked to the floor. "What's going on Yang?"

"Ruby, I just…" She sighed. "I'm just not sure how I feel about you flying a NEXT. I don't want you to get hurt. Hector is a great teacher, but nothing can really prepare you for what's out there. What you have to do, it's not like the simulators."

Yang kept her hands wrapped firmly around my shoulders, wanting to pull me away from my destiny. I could see that I was no longer speaking with Yang my sister. I was speaking with Yang the LYNX, a one-year veteran with a NEXT kill under her belt. I remember the night well.

* * *

><p>I was taking a midnight walk down the long hallway just outside our room, the floor tinted blue by the moonlight filtering in through the glass wall. I clutched my data pad in folded arms as I waited for Yang's call. She had promised she would call every weekend, and so far she had. Suddenly, the pad buzzed in my arms, nearly slipping from my grasp and falling to the floor. I answered only to see a tired face that barely resembled my sister. Hair disheveled, dark circles under her eyes. It was clear something was very wrong. Yang was nearly passing out on the communication desk.<p>

"Hey, sis, sorry I'm calling so late. How's it going? How are mom and Dad?"

"They're fine, just asleep. Yang… you don't look so good."

"Yeah, I know." she sighed. "Just had a really rough time lately. I had my first fight against another LYNX."

I was both excited for my sister and terrified. I was excited that she was already skilled enough to hold her own against probably a more experienced LYNX. I was terrified that she was already being sent forward to fight these more experienced LYNX in the first place. What if it was Otsdarva she had faced? The genius from Omer had risen to Rank 1 in a matter of months, and people were beginning to compare him to Berlioz. I grew cold thinking about the storm of gunfire and lasers that would devour Yang if they fought.

"Who was it?"

"Anil Hassan." she replied. I recalled the name from a report I read on special forces normal units. Anil Hassan had been a pilot in former Eqbal's (now Algebra's) deadly Bharat squadron, and was given a NEXT when he was shown to be compatible. He was a deadly opponent, and a veteran of squad tactics. Yang closed her eyes as she massaged her forehead. "GA is at odds with Algebra right now, so I was sent to make an attack on PA-N51. Bharat squadron and Hassan were waiting for me. I took out so many of their normals, but Hassan just kept right on me, swearing vengeance. He would've had me too, if he hadn't accidentally caught his leg on a half buried refinery while he was trying to flank me."

I listened to the story intently, as Yang tried to stay awake.

"It didn't matter in the end, anyway. Algebra was sending in two more NEXTs, and I had to retreat. It was all for nothing." she gasped as she slumped down in her chair. I didn't know what to say, so I tried to console her.

"I'm just glad you're okay Yang. I know you'll be alright, but Mom and Dad are worried about you."

"Yeah," she gave a half smile as she began nodding off at the data screen. "Tell them I said hi, and send them my love."

"I will, Yang. Be careful."

"Careful is my middle name, Ruby." She said with a smirk, her eyes closed. I smiled at the comment.

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Now, as I stood before my sister in the flesh, I knew she was really trying to look out for me. But this was something I had to do. I owed it to Joshua to keep fighting his fight.<p>

"Yang, I know the consequences of this path. If it gives us even the slightest chance to bring Omer to justice, then I'm going to take it." I said. Yang stepped back, defeated, but with a proud grin on her face.

"That's my sister."

I turned around and took a deep breath. This was it, the moment of truth. I walked towards the tiny door in the side of the black monolith before me. I stepped inside the dimly lit box, and the door closed behind me with a bang. An unfamiliar scientist ushered me onto a table, with a massive indention fitting the form of a person.

"Lie down." He commanded. I did as instructed and felt a slight heat on my back as the table sprang to life with a hum. The man attached a small band to my head, and walked across from me to a small, grey console. He seemed to push a button, and the room swam before my eyes.

I saw clouds, and the sun. Wind, blowing the sand around as I stood in Aspina. But I was far outside the colony, in the wastes. A form walked away from me through the dust, but I couldn't make out any features. I called out to it, but I got no reply. I ran forward, and suddenly the ground cracked before me, sending dirt and rocks everywhere, rending the earth in two. A large, red and black NEXT rose out of the hole, before chasing after the figure. I tried to stop running, but I kept going straight over the edge. I fell straight down into total darkness, wind rushing against my face until it forced my eyes closed and I felt a paralyzing impact.

Light returned to the world as I opened my eyes, sitting up from the table. The doctor stood immobile over his console. Reaching up to my head, I unfastened the electronic belt and laid it gently down on the table behind me. I looked back at the scientist.

"Sir?" He raised his head to look at me, staring in fascination. "How'd I do? Am I compatible?" I asked, concern growing in my voice. He stuttered a reply.

"You are d-definitely compatible, miss Rose. You had nearly p-perfect synchronization with the AMS system. I-I've never seen anything like it! Four-hundred and forty-one points of neural meshing. " The man's jaw dropped. "Young lady, you have the potential to be the most powerful pilot alive."

I stood in shock, just as surprised as the scientist. The words almost didn't register. But they would in time. I would train with Hector, improving my skills and becoming the best LYNX on the planet.

And then, I would take the fight to Omer.

* * *

><p><strong>Surprise time jumps!<strong>

**Yes, I know, it advanced very quickly, but we still have a ways to go before Ruby sees combat.**

**Also, Cardin cameo! Expect a lot more visits from RWBY characters. While team RWBY will be the key players, others do show up and make an impact on the story.**

**Chapter 5 may be delayed a little, just a forewarning. **


	5. Chapter 5: Test Pattern

**Sorry for the delay, here is Chapter 5!**

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><p>Chapter 5: Test Pattern<p>

Darkness was all that existed for a moment. An infinite blackness surrounded me, holding me up. My arms and legs hung loosely in the air, and no matter what I did they would not move. I couldn't draw breath, and my eyes would not open. A fatal silence echoed through the space, the kind that would make someone jump at every shadow, cower at every fleeting glimpse of a form. But I was not afraid. I was ready.

"Initiating combat simulation: Muscle Tracer patrol."

The mechanical voice awakened me, and my eyes flew open to the bright, artificial sun of the Peace City desert. Sand billowed below me, and old, decrepit buildings were collapsing into the dunes. I was standing next to one, about even with what I thought was the twelfth floor. I extended my right arm as far as I could, and I saw in my blocky, metallic hand I was holding a rifle. The sunlight glared off the silvery appendage, which I recognized as the arm of an old, Rosenthal "Hogire" unit. I moved my arm up and down, watching the steel puppet follow suit. Quickly I began flexing my arms and legs, desperate to learn how I would control this NEXT.

"Ruby, this is Hector, come in." A voice crackled through my head. It was odd, seeing nothing, being completely alone, and yet speaking with someone. Almost like talking to yourself.

"Hector, I'm here." I replied into thin air.

"Good. As I'm sure you've figured out, there is a small patrol of Muscle Tracers inbound to your location. They will be very well armed and are aware of your presence. You will have to take them all out. This should be easy for you," he paused. "I'll be your operator for this exercise. Any questions?"

"No." I said. While Hector was going over the mission, I had been testing the functions of the NEXT. When I ran around on the ground and moved my arms and legs, it behaved in much the same way as a normal, albeit much more responsive and fluid. I felt like I was part of the machine, which was close to the truth. In real life, pilots are neurally linked directly to the NEXT's systems inside the core. They don't sit in the machine like a normal, they are implanted in, mind and body.

While I was aiming the rifle at the building, I made a trigger pulling motion with my hand. With a blast of light and a loud thud, the rifle fired a shell at point blank into the wall, sending rubble everywhere and leaving a large hole in the decaying offices. The noise wasn't nearly as loud as I remember from Aspina four years ago, but I could see the deadly result was the same. Raising my left hand, I saw I had a triangular looking laser blade on the back of my forearm. I balled my hand into a fist, and a bright orange beam emerged from the tip of the triangle parallel to my hand, extending out a few meters before tapering off. It radiated energy, and against the intense light I became aware of the NEXT's heads up display activating.

Numbers and bars were displayed on the edge of my vision, in a translucent green color. I recognized AP, meaning armor points, a numerical representation of hull integrity, and a small bar above the AP number representing energy reserved for weapons and boosters. Speaking of energy, the bar was quickly draining from my continued use of the laser blade, so I switched it off by opening my fist. Both the AP and energy bar systems were also present in normals, but the last one I saw was foreign to me. A thick, short bar was adjacent to the AP number, but it was unaffected by my use of the blade. Joshua had described primal armor to me once as being measurable, and since there were no other systems I could think of that required monitoring, I assumed the fat bar represented my PA. I returned to testing out my equipment.

Switching to my back weapons, which were a laser cannon on the left and a missile launcher on the right, required a less casual action. To prime the heavy guns, I needed to arch back the respective shoulder and rotate it in the socket, which would raise the gun up and into position. Once they were ready, I found I could aim with normal motions of my arm, and fire by closing my hand into a fist. The laser cannon I had was nothing compared to Hector's plasma cannon, but it still carved a searing hole through the nearest building with an orange beam of heat and gas. Having worked out basic movement and weaponry, I was about to turn my attention to boosting when I heard a quiet crack.

Masonry exploded near my face, filling the air with tiny shards of shrapnel that clouded my vision for a brief moment. Turning to track the shot, I saw three thin, reverse jointed figures emerging from behind another dune. They lumbered forward slowly, cannons in the place of arms turning up to take aim. One of them had what appeared to be missile launchers sprouting from its back.

"It would seem you've found the Muscle Tracers." Hector said. I silently cursed my ignorance. In my haste to try out the Hogire's systems, I had forgotten to check on my radar. I could see three red triangles were now illuminated straight ahead of me. Two more of them were closing in from the far right. But they were on the edge of my radar. There could be any number of them right outside my range. "What are you waiting for? Engage them."

I began running forward through the waste, making for a nearby building that I could use for cover. The sand kicked up in geysers as my thick, metal feet pulverized the ground beneath me, leaving deep tracks even in the billowing dust. More cracks sounded from the direction of the Muscle Tracers, and I rotated to get a view of them, sidestepping towards my destination. Five low caliber cannon rounds flew towards me, although most of them passed just behind my shoulder. Two, however, struck home. I could see my Primal Armor glisten as the invisible shield activated to absorb most of the force. My armor dropped an insignificant amount, and I barely registered the two impacts to my abdomen.

Raising my rifle and activating my laser cannon, I took aim at the lead Muscle Tracer. A white targeting reticule appeared on my screen as the Hogire's aim assistant made fine adjustments to ensure I would hit. When it turned red, I squeezed off a rifle shot and pumped out a laser blast, for good measure. Muscle Tracers were about as tall as a NEXT, but fairly low tech, and lacked any real protection. The rifle fire probably would have been enough for a kill, but I was taking no chances.

The bullet struck the MT dead on, ripping through its arm cannons and burying itself in the metal of the cockpit. The laser followed suit, boring a bright red hole straight through the dying machine that nearly sliced it clean in half. Molten metal fell apart, unable to support the weight of the compromised hull, and the shell collapsed into the desert. One down, two to go. Just as I began readjusting my aim to target the Muscle Tracer with the missile launcher, it fired a salvo from its back weapon. Four white missiles streaked towards me through the air. Still sidestepping, almost to the building, I fired a few wild shots at the explosives. One of the missiles took a glancing blow that ignited its charge, and it detonated. Another one was caught in the blast, but that still left two.

I threw my bulk around the corner of the building as the missiles followed close behind. They were coming at an angle, and as a result they turned straight into a wall, sending up a fiery cloud of concrete and metal shavings with a dull bang. The Muscle Tracers were still a fair distance away, and nothing they had could penetrate the building, so I took the chance to try and activate my boosters. If only I could start moving quickly, I could take out these scouts in seconds. I tried jumping up, but that launched me off the ground with the sheer force of the Hogire's legs alone, and not the thrusters. I was at a loss for what to do, but as I turned to engage in a long firefight with the MTs, Hector's voice once again tore through my head.

"Ruby, why aren't you using your boosters? You know a NEXT's greatest weapon is speed." He asked, puzzled. I felt embarrassment creep into my voice as I spoke.

"I… don't know how. I figured out all the rest of the motions, but I can't activate the boosters. I thought I was supposed to mesh perfectly with the NEXT." I whispered. Hector eased up his tone as well, speaking gently.

"The reason you're having trouble is because you're still thinking of movement like you're in a normal. There are no foot pedals and arm levers here, Ruby. Remember, your mind is what controls things, not your body. To move your arm, you must first think about moving it, even if it's only a subconscious thought. The same goes for boosting." Hector paused for a moment, before letting out a short laugh. "Don't worry. On the first try, everyone has this problem. I know I did. Your sister just charged the MTs on foot and blasted them apart." I smiled and shook my head at the story. I could easily imagine Yang rushing forward, weapons blazing through a hail of gunfire. "Try to imagine yourself floating over the ground. Allow yourself to feel how you want to move." Hector finished. I drew in a deep breath, and closed my eyes.

"Okay, I'll try." I replied as I slowly exhaled. Calming down, I focused on a mental image of the Hogire unit I was controlling. It was a middle weight biped, not the fastest, but it still outpaced many other models. The Hogire had fairly thick arms and legs, and the core was well armored and blocky. Boosters were positioned around the arms, legs, shoulders, chest, and all up and down the backside. To just get off the ground, I needed most of the boosters activated to some extent, to both lift me up and balance me in the air.

I imagined them firing, discharging the familiar light yellow flare I had seen in the videos. I imagined them heating up, drawing power from the Kojima reactor and burning it away into the surrounding environment as they radiated propulsive force. An odd noise drew me out of my meditation, and my eyes snapped open to see… nothing had changed. I was still on the ground. But that noise, it had almost been like a small rush of air, the quiet sound of gas spraying from a nozzle before being ignited. I once again recalled the thought of the boosters surging with power, this time with my eyes open.

The sound returned, and with a jolt I could see that the horizon was starting to tremble. The NEXT was almost off the ground, but it needed one final push. I was so close I could feel the machine calling to me, asking me to become one with it, to stop differentiating between muscles and servos. Willingly I gave myself over to the sensation, and with a mere thought, I rocketed up into the sky.

The ascent was smooth, like floating up through water as I cleared the building. I let out an ecstatic cry of joy as I hovered in the air. "Hector, I did it!"

"Good, now take some time to get used to hovering while you take out the rest of the MTs."

My only response was to smirk, even though Hector couldn't see it. I would do more than just hover. I would soar.

Turning my thoughts at the Muscle Tracers, who were struggling to aim upwards at me, I propelled myself forwards. Dunes and buildings blurred as the powerful boosters on my back let out a blast, accelerating me to a speed lethal for anyone in a normal. In an instant, I was positioned above the MTs, their forms seeming to move in slow motion as they turned to track me. Cutting all of my vertical thrust, I dropped like a bomb, slamming down in the midst of the hapless scouts who had gone up against a NEXT. I spun around in a burst of light and gleaming metal as I activated my laser sword. The beam cleaved the MT with the missile launcher in two like it was paper, sending a shower of sparks and steam into the air. I turned on the second MT before the first one hit the ground, and it met a similar fate as the orange blade sliced through its core, sending two halves straight into the sand with the hiss of melting alloys.

At the corner of my vision I could see the remaining MTs had drawn closer. They numbered five, moving in a triangular formation as they headed straight towards me. Wasting no time, I thrusted forward, coasting over the ground to conserve energy as my feet drew wide streaks in the dunes. A flurry of cannon fire rushed to meet me on my path, and I threw myself to the side again. But this time I activated my boosters, depleting a higher amount of energy to temporarily overcharge them, blasting me out of harm's way with blinding speed. I smiled inwardly. I had performed my first Quickboost, a signature move used by NEXT pilots to evade fire and reposition for an attack. It felt good to be making progress, and the Hogire handled like a dream. Every move it made was so perfectly in tune with me that it almost seemed like it had a mind of its own. Well, I guess it kind of did have a mind, just not technically its own.

Continuing onward towards the MT formation, I had the opportunity to practice Quickboosting a few more times as I dodged missiles and cannon shells before I was among the outdated walkers. My laser blade carved a path through the closest two, shearing off the tops of the cores with an impressive amount of sparks and leaving the flaming hunks to collapse loosely to the ground. Another one fell to a sharp burst of rifle fire as it turned to aim at me, tearing into the cockpit and drilling out the back, leaving two gaping holes that filled with smoke as the helpless walker shuddered and dropped. The last two MTs had nearly locked onto me, but I was close enough to cut them down. I boosted around them, cleanly circling behind the slow machines before they could shoot. It was sad, really, that people still used these things in combat even when they had no chance against a NEXT. With a short swipe, I drew my laser blade through them both, adding two more sparking, demolished Muscle Tracers to the mechanical graveyard at my feet.

"Excellent work Ruby. I've never seen someone take to the boosting system so fast."

"Really? You mean that?" I asked, bewildered. Hector's amused laugh echoed through the desert.

"Yes, Ruby, I mean it. Most people need to go through at least three or four simulations to have the degree of control you just displayed."

I nearly squealed with giddy excitement. Anatolia's Mercenary, the greatest soldier of all time, had just complemented me on my skills with a NEXT! On my first try using one!

"Thank you so much! I won't let you down." I quickly added.

"I know you won't. Do you want to take a break? Or keep going?" Hector asked.

Still feeling the rush from my first battle, and wanting to test myself more, I quickly confirmed the latter option.

"Let's keep going. I'll need all the practice I can get if I'm going to be the best."

"Alright, I'll load another simulation. We'll jump ahead a little. How does Silent Avalanche sound?"

* * *

><p>My training advanced at a rapid pace, and I began to hone my skills around the laser blade and rifle especially. Back weapons were by all means useful, but I felt they lacked a certain maneuverability necessary for close combat. Nothing beat the thrill of charging through enemies with an unstoppable, elegant force. And my AMS aptitude made me better suited for it than most. The split second decisions, the rush of buildings and deserts and ice floes blurring as they disappeared behind me. It was breathtaking to have such fine control over something outside of yourself, to be a part of something greater.<p>

But still, I made some mistakes. My raw talent and determination proved my greatest strengths, although Hector said I relied on them too much. Even though I had completed his combat theory course with flying colors, he still noticed in me a tendency to act before planning. Which, I admit, I did do a lot. Unfortunately, this led to some moments I'm less than proud of, most notably against Silent Avalanche. Other normal squads I learned to dispatch with relative ease, but the arctic snipers gave me quite a bit of trouble. Rushing forward into close combat with a powerful Overboost may work well against one group once I'm within blade distance, but it paints a huge target on my back for any other units with an overlapping field of fire. It was there on the simulated fields of Antarctica that I first experienced AMS feedback. Getting hit with a large caliber sniper cannon does quite a bit of damage and drains your primal armor, and getting hit again in rapid succession can compromise entire sections of a NEXT.

Thankfully, when the second round hit my arm it glanced off, but enough force was transferred to warp the metal of the elbow joint. The failing motors couldn't respond to my mental signals, and when that happens, the electrical charge sent out to the systems is returned to the source. In this case, my elbow. The sudden over stimulus of nerves in the body can cause severe damage, usually indicated by a numb or sore feeling. Extreme cases caused paralysis, and oftentimes, death. Although there were techniques to reduce the lethality of the feedback, they severely impeded the synchronization between the LYNX and the NEXT, leading many to eschew the technology in favor of not getting shot down in the first place. The training simulator was programmed to only simulate a minor shock, however, so for a couple hours afterwards my arm felt half asleep. AMS feedback was one of the main killers of NEXT pilots, right after direct attacks penetrating a compromised hull. Even if the armor holds up, intense radiation or extreme damage all over a NEXT can cause the bodily functions of the pilot to shut down, sending them into a short lived coma before expiring. Although I'm told it's relatively painless, as you lose literally all feeling in your body, I can't imagine how horrifying it would be. To watch as you just… turn off, and know there is nothing you can do about it. I shivered when Hector explained the situation. I couldn't let that happen to me.

Regardless of the setback, I pushed forward and survived the Silent Avalanche mission, although I wasn't pleased with the result. After completing all the other scenarios, destroying MTs, normals, battleships, you name it, I insisted on running the mission again. This time, however, I tried a different approach. Hector always said I was a good shot, so when I encountered the first group of snipers, I turned to my rifle and rear laser cannon instead of my blade.

When I had launched myself into the midst of the snipers before, I had to leave my back exposed as I cut them down one at a time. I couldn't defend myself if I couldn't see what was coming at me, so I would no longer make that mistake. Engaging normals specialized for long range combat at their own game was risky, but I trusted to my enhanced reflexes and skill to see me through. Massive sniper cannon rounds would fill my vision for a few terrifying milliseconds before I dodged out of the way, and continued firing towards closest unit. And when only one normal was left in each group, it was easy to speed past and sideswipe it with my sword. In this fashion I battered through the special forces unit, dodging their fire head on and returning some very accurate shots of my own. I finished with barely a scratch, and when I stepped out of my final simulation, Hector stood there waiting for me.

"Congratulations Ruby. You're done. There's no more I can teach you. Fighting head on like that is incredibly dangerous, but very effective if you have the skills to support your strategy. And you definitely have the skills." he said with a smile, clapping me on the back. In the year we had been training, Hector had been my constant companion, the voice on my shoulder that was the embodiment of wisdom and experience. He had given me advice, strategies, and the sum of his knowledge. And now, all that was left to do was register as a LYNX and build my NEXT. To this end, Hector and I stood in the elevator rising up to the top floor of Line Ark, filled with nervous anticipation. Well, I was filled with nervous anticipation. I doubt he was. Before I could strike out on my own, I needed the approval of the Line Ark government and defense corps.

My two choices were to sign a contract with a company or remain an independent mercenary. Either decision would bear severe ramifications for Line Ark, as the only companies I really had the choice to join were GA or BFF. Joining either of them would provide a lot more income for us, and probably increase the resources we received. But if I remained independent, I would have more freedom to investigate Omer. I wouldn't be making nearly as much money though, and I wouldn't have access to a NEXT for a while, since the only model we still had was Hector's Aaliyah. It was a tossup, between my desire for justice and my responsibility to repay Line Ark for everything it had given my family. Before I made any decision though, the directors of the government had to meet and discuss my plans and how they would affect the companies. Tensions between Line Ark and The League were at an all time high, and we were about to play the age-old, dangerous game of cold war negotiations that would determine the fate of the last independent power in the world.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes! Finally some NEXT action! (even though it's just a simulation)<strong>

**Also, the LYNX piloting system is... complicated, to say the least. The best comparison I can give you is The Matrix: Their minds completely control their actions, and if whatever they are connected to is destroyed, they die. Although no one has those ugly looking brainstem hooks in the back of their heads.**

**If some of you haven't noticed by now, the chapter names are song titles from both the Armored Core 4/for Answer OST and the RWBY soundtracks. They are all awesome and I highly suggest listening to them all in the order of the chapters without stopping because I pretty much do that every day.**

**Chapter 6 should proceed as planned, and will probably be ready within a week.**


	6. Chapter 6: This Will Be The Day

**I am adding this A/N because when I don't have one, the chapter name below gets pushed out of position and it looks weird. **

**In any case, enjoy chapter 6!**

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><p>Chapter 6: This Will Be The Day<p>

Slowing to a stop, a quiet ping announced our arrival to the government conference room. As the elevator doors opened, I was greeted by the fading light of the afternoon pouring in through the huge window opposite me, tinting everything a soft orange. A long table stretched through the area, and a small hemisphere rested in the center, sticking up like half a globe from the otherwise smooth surface. Five figures were seated behind it, framed against the sunset. The floor was a dark brown color, and when I took my first step forward I could feel it was blanketed in a soft carpet. Hector walked in beside me, arms held at his sides rather casually. He seemed relaxed, but he also knew everyone and was a co-founder of Line Ark. I, on the other hand, had been living here for the last five years thanks only to the generosity of these people. Drawing a deep breath as I crossed the room, I tried hard not to look too anxious for the people who would be deciding my fate.

Immediately I recognized most of the board members who were seated. Far off to one side was Abe Marsh, the legendary architect who had designed White Glint. The past five years hadn't treated him very well, and he now walked with a cane. His pale white beard had grown down to his throat, and he wore very thick spectacles on the edge of his nose. Liver spots dotted his bald head, and I could see a multitude of wrinkles spread across his face. Despite this, he still seemed like the gentle, kind man who had tried to help me and that woman the day Joshua was taken.

To Abe's left stood a man who was unknown to me. He appeared to be much younger than Abe, and was much more muscular, although his neat, black hair was beginning to grey on the sides. He had a handsome face, the only flaw being a metal bar which was visibly implanted into his fore head above the right eye. It was polished brightly, and the skin around it was beginning to grow over the foreign object. The metal was probably a surgical plate to support lost pieces of the skull, and from the looks of it, it appeared to be a bullet sized hole. But with the advent of ACs, so few military encounters were in person that a human-scale bullet wound was rare. I wondered who he was to warrant such an attack.

At the center sat the two most prominent figures of the Line Ark government. Emil Gustav was on the edge of his seat, worn hands resting on his knees, brown hair combed back, darker brown eyes focused on the orb sprouting from the table. His sharp features seemed tired, as though he hadn't slept in years. For all I know, he might not have. Formerly a research assistant, Emil's real talents lay in the world of politics, and he had become the de facto leader of Anatolia during the LYNX War. He had worked tirelessly since the day Anatolia was attacked to establish a safe haven, free of corporate control. But he knew that nothing, not even a NEXT, could keep the prying fingers of the companies away forever.

Just next to Emil was the director of the Line Ark defense corps, Professor Ozpin. Many in the community assumed Hector to be the leader of our military, but really it was Ozpin who ran the show. Formerly a teacher from Anatolia, he had become a leader amongst the people and was hailed as an incredible tactician. He had been the mind behind the Megalis project, an abandoned solar energy converter in Australia that was repurposed to beam power to the entirety of Line Ark. Despite his unkempt grey hair and the beginnings of a few wrinkles, Ozpin's brown eyes were bright and full of life and intelligence. He studied me with curiosity, peeking over a set of tiny reading spectacles that rested low on his nose, and took a sip from a steaming white mug in his hand. I could smell the coffee filling the cup, and savoring the aroma, inhaled a little too sharply on accident. Ozpin merely smiled at the embarrassing sound, and I blushed a little. So went my first impression to the man who would be judging whether or not I can make the right decisions.

To Ozpin's left sat a woman I had never seen before, with light blonde hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head. A few curled strands fell to the side and reached down to her chin. While she had a pretty face, her demeanor would have been enough to make grown men snap to attention with a glance. Intense green eyes glared at me from behind a thin set of glasses, and her thin lips were twisted into a faint frown. I cringed a little when I met her gaze. She seemed to be the worst of the group.

I looked over to Hector, who stood by silently, arms folded across his chest. He still wore his old trench coat to cover his jumpsuit, and it was starting to fade with age. The grey in his hair had encroached further outwards, and lines had formed on his face from hours of intense concentration while flying his NEXT. His silver eyes had taken on greater life than when I had first met him though, and they seemed more focused on the here and now than previously during his thousand-yard stares. He smiled and nodded to me, urging me to sit.

The white chair I took a seat on was bolted into the floor, on a rotating pillar. It was thinly cushioned and form fitting, although I was a little short for it. I had gotten taller since we left Aspina, but I was still almost a head shorter than everyone else here. Thankfully, I had switched out of my black and red NEXT jumpsuit for something more comfortable. Which also happened to be black and red.

"Ms. Rose, please allow me to introduce myself, and my colleagues." Ozpin said. His voice was smooth, and he talked in a very relaxed pace despite having drained his coffee cup moments ago. He gestured to his left, towards the woman.

"This is Glynda Goodwitch, head of the intelligence department and an old friend of mine." The woman quickly acknowledge me, but her expression remained unchanged. Ozpin now extended an arm towards his right.

"And these gentlemen are Emil Gustav, the Executive Director of Line Ark…" Emil quickly nodded to me. "General James Ironwood, of the Bernard and Felix Foundation…" The man with the metal plate smiled and gave a curt bow. "and Dr. Abe Marsh, our NEXT architect and head of Research." The old man smiled and waved at me, and I couldn't help but smile back at his friendliness.

"And I am Professor Ozpin, head of the Line Ark defense corps." he finished. I studied each member of the board, and they stared back. Before I could open my mouth to speak, Ironwood lurched forward and extended a hand to me.

"Ms. Rose, I would just like to say that GA and BFF are very impressed with your sister, and if you're half as good as Hector says you are, we would be honored to have you." He said quickly. His voice was sharp and aggressive, but also polite, more like a politician than a general. When I shook his hand I found the grip remarkably light. Ironwood took a seat, and Emil leaned farther into the table.

"So, I suppose Hector has explained your options?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Gustav. I can either sign with a company or remain an independent mercenary."

"That is technically correct, although I'm sure you are aware that only GA and BFF would even consider taking on a LYNX from Line Ark." I nodded again. "We are currently on the verge of a crisis, Ms. Rose. The rest of The League has been cracking down on rebel groups across the globe, and we fear they may soon have the confidence and resources to attack Line Ark. If such an event were to happen, GA and BFF would be unable to assist us for fear of becoming targets themselves." he said. Ironwood spoke up once more.

"The united GA and BFF armies are currently skirmishing with Algebra and the Interior Union already, and if Torus, Omer, and Rosenthal join up with them, we would be crushed." His gaze narrowed as he stared me down. "However, if you were to join GA and BFF now, we could make progress in the war and gain a higher standing in the League. Once we have that standing, we could relax the pressure on Line Ark."

"But if you remain independent, you can operate out of Line Ark and take a more active role in defense." Glynda cut in, shooting Ironwood a piercing glance. "I believe the general neglected to mention that if you join them you will be forbidden from actively protecting the city. Isn't that right, James?" Ironwood stammered for a moment before answering.

"Yes, well, we can't have ourselves too openly associated with a radical power, now can we? You understand, don't you?" he asked. Finally getting a chance to speak, I quickly belted out a reply.

"I understand sir, and I think so far that I would rather remain independent."

Ironwood sighed and Glynda allowed a small smirk to cross her face. Ozpin leaned towards me a little, and spoke in a soft, confidential tone.

"There is more to consider here than just military strength. GA and BFF provide many of the resources that we need to survive. And while we are working on becoming completely self-sufficient, their support cannot be ignored." he drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. "If you join GA and BFF, we can negotiate for greatly increased supplies and more defensive assets, such as ammunition and normals." Ozpin paused as he opened his eyes to stare into mine. Off to the side, Ironwood was beginning to smile a little, although Glynda seemed uninterested in his reaction. Emil still sat with his eyes focused on the dome in the table. Ozpin continued quietly. "However, there are few defensive assets greater than a NEXT. Basing your operations out of Line Ark would attract more attention, but at the same time would enable us to stave off a League incursion. If you remain with us, operating as an Independent mercenary for hire, we can't guarantee consistent money flow, since many companies would shun a LYNX with possible terrorist affiliations. The threat we pose to The League would also double, and whether or not they decide to attack will be dependent on whether or not you can convince them that you and Hector can defeat anything they throw at us." He finished.

I glanced up at Hector questioningly. He nodded and addressed Ozpin.

"I have complete confidence in Ruby's abilities, Oz. Nothing would get past us." I smiled at the comment, and Hector winked back. Ozpin turned and gave Emil a conspiratorial look, and leaned back in his seat, hands meshed together. Emil spoke to me without averting his gaze from the orb in the table.

"Do you know what this orb is, Ruby?" I nodded.

"It's a globe. A map of Earth."

"Yes. And can you point out where Line Ark is on it?" Emil asked. In response I placed my finger on a tiny spot off the coast of former Europe. "Exactly. As you can see, we are positioned well within the reach of many corporations. The Bernard and Felix Foundation are the closest, and Global Armaments has been extending its reach away from the Pacific and into the Atlantic as well. We are also accessible by the Interior Union in the south, and Omer Science Technology from the southeast, meaning we are very open to attack should conditions escalate." He now looked straight at me, brown eyes glowing. "If you remain independent, you will have more freedom to move on Omer when the time is right. I know that's what you really want, and frankly so do the rest of us. But this freedom also comes with a greater responsibility. You will be the guardian of not only the last free power in the world, but also of thousands of innocent lives as well. Your skills are not in question now, but your heart. Are you ready for this great burden?"

I answered unwaveringly.

"I'm ready. I'll do whatever it takes to protect Line Ark and bring Omer to justice."

Emil nodded in reply. "Then in that case, I have a proposition for you James." he said, turning to face the general. "If she will accept, Ms. Rose will take jobs exclusively from GA and BFF, although she will be registered as independent. In return, we would like a fifteen percent increase in monthly food supplies as well as a fresh contingent of normals and parts. And Ms. Rose will have access to your armory." he said. Ironwood took a moment to think it over, and then nodded in approval. They looked to me and I agreed.

"That sounds manageable, Emil. We won't be able to provide Ms. Rose with quite as many contracts, but we'd definitely appreciate her services. I'll send over the largest shipment we can. Since I'm feeling generous, a squad of our special forces will accompany them and stay on to help train some of your pilots. I'll handle the preparations with Collared for Ms. Rose." The League's mercenary organization Collared was responsible for distributing tasks amongst LYNX, and all of them were required to register, lest they be branded a terrorist like Amazigh, the feared "Desert Wolf". The freedom fighter was one of the most heartbreaking casualties of the LYNX War. He was alone, but he persisted in his open rebellion against the corporations. And it got him killed. He was a true hero, fighting for his homeland to the last breath. It seemed all the real heroes were dying these days. Hector was probably the only one left, and he had been forced to kill the other two. These wars were so twisted, but playing along was the only way to make any progress, to get closer to Omer before the knife was ready to strike.

Ironwood stood to leave, and all the others followed suit. As I was standing, a sudden thought flashed through my mind.

"Wait, I don't have a NEXT!" I nearly yelled. Ironwood turned in surprise, although the other four just shared a knowing look. "General Ironwood, is Big Box still operating?" He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but no. GA abandoned it when all of their leadership moved into the Cradles. Come to think of it, we haven't had any news about it at all in months." A frown cut across my face as I tried to come up with other ways to get a NEXT. Big Box used to be GA's headquarters, and it was where Yang built her Ember Celica. When BFF was partnered with GA, most of their production facilities were stripped and limited in order to prevent them from completely regaining full strength, in case they revolted against their saviors. As a result, it would take them weeks to assemble parts, much less a whole NEXT. And now with Big Box gone, for GA to construct an entirely new NEXT would draw too much attention as well.

"What should we do?" I cried. Hector shared a look with Abe Marsh, and then put a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

"Well Ruby, I figured you would want to remain at Line Ark, so we've already worked out a solution. Since the presence of a second LYNX would already increase our threat level, we decided that we needed a symbol to rally behind. One that will remind Omer that we will not go down easily." Hector looked to Abe again, who reached into a pocket on his lab coat and produced a small data pad. He slid it across the table to me. Displayed in vivid color was a NEXT unlike anything I had ever seen. It was pure white, and stood on tall, smooth legs that reminded me of the Hogire. The core, however, was completely original. It was small and streamlined in the center, but extending from the back were two banks of extra boosters. They stretched out sideways behind the shoulders like wings, and I could see two dark grey scatter missile launchers attached at the ends: Saline 05's from MSAC International. The Salines were new in production but already rumored to be top class. In the hands of the NEXT were two similarly grey rifles. The right held the famous 051ANNR that Hector loved so much, and the other held a newer model assault rifle, BFF's 064ANAR. Coming from a company specializing in sniper weapons, I had no doubt it was both accurate and deadly. Hector picked up the pad and brought it closer to us.

I could see that not only was it well armed, the NEXT itself was designed with incredible care and attention to detail. The head piece was reminiscent of the Aaliyah's linear, multi-eyed head, but I could see a large primal armor rectifier protruding from the back. Scanning the rest of the body, I could see more darkly colored rectifiers built into the legs, shoulders and arms. All seemed to be able to slide in and out of the frame. Reaching out, I tapped the wings on the back, and I saw the diagram expand them, as a layer of boosters extended even further from their banks, stretching far past the shoulders and opening a myriad of tiny flaps on the back.

"That, my dear girl, is a custom made Overboost unit. Increases efficiency to one hundred and forty percent." Dr. Marsh chimed in. "And although you can't see it, the head also retracts into the core for reduced drag at high speeds." I whistled at the master architect's work. He had really outdone himself this time. But he wasn't finished. "And all of those rectifiers that you see? They extend from the frame to increase the power and reach of assault armor." Abe had a proud grin on his face. "The entire thing is as light as an Aaliyah, and stronger too. And with Hector's capabilities, just as fast and deadly." He said. Hector smirked at the compliment. I was still in shock that we had the resources to construct this. Especially assault armor! The technology was still relatively new, expanding primal armor in a powerful blast that could tear through enemies. Although it drained the primal armor and left the user defenseless for a few moments, it was still a feared weapon. Unfortunately, it also hampered the Overboost system, which drew from PA as well. But Dr. Marsh had fixed that problem with the extra wing boosters. It was a beauty of a machine, and for a while I had nearly fainted from excitement that I would be piloting it, until I realized it was meant for Hector. Which was still great, of course. He definitely deserved such a powerful NEXT. Hector must have read my mind, because he turned to me to explain this surprise.

"I've been thinking, Ruby. Omer will be coming for us, so let's give them a reminder of who they're up against. " He said, and motioned to the display. "This NEXT… is the White Glint Mark Two."

My eyes began to water as I brought forth memories of the first pilot of White Glint, and a bittersweet smile crossed my face as I looked up at Hector. This was the best way to honor Joshua. Taking on his name to continue his legacy, defending his home and the people he loved. Not letting his memory fade like that of so many other unsung patriots.

"It's what he would've wanted." I croaked out, choking back some tears. I dried my eyes and Hector massaged my shoulder gently. If only Joshua could see this.

"I'll take on the responsibility of full-time defense, since Omer has already branded me a complete rogue amongst The League. You're welcome to my old Aaliyah, Ruby. Although…" A mischievous spark flared in his silver eyes. "I have another surprise that I think you might find more fitting. Two weeks ago, when Glynda got word that Aspina was left unguarded by Omer for a few days, we infiltrated the colony. Not only did we pick up some civilians who wanted to flee, but we also managed to smuggle something else out." Hector said with a grin. "If this meeting is over, we'll be heading to the garage." He said. Emil waved us off, and Hector and I entered the elevator once again. Abe Marsh accompanied us just before the doors closed, and I heard Professor Ozpin calling out to me.

"Good luck, Ms. Rose. Remember your training and trust your abilities. Many lives depend on it."

* * *

><p>The garage was vast, a huge open room similar to the hangars in Aspina. It was situated on the third floor of Line Ark, under the main highway so that NEXTs could be launched without being completely exposed to attack. Most of the time it was brightly lit, and bustling with activity as technicians scrambled about, operating lifts and trolleys to move large chunks of machinery and parts. Our defensive forces were so few that if we wanted to, we could probably fit four NEXTs inside here. Normally, only the Aaliyah stood tall and menacing in the brown tint of the old, powerful industrial lights above. Now, two other forms took up more space. The closer one I recognized as the White Glint Mark Two, shining and majestic as engineers performed last minute checks on the smallest details. But as I trod further down the walkway overlooking all of the separate pads, I was met with a familiar sight that filled me with joy.<p>

"White Glint! Hector, you brought back White Glint!" I screamed as I ran forward to the foot of the machine. Joshua's iconic weapon stood before me, stoic and proud as ever. The white paint still glowed as brilliantly as the day I first saw it. Metallic flaps and plates felt warm and comforting under my fingers, and I ran my hand instinctively over every crevice and gear I could reach. Turning around, I saw Hector standing with Dr. Marsh at his side, both of them beaming like fools. Now I was too.

"Surprise!" Hector called. I giggled with excitement, a little dizzy from the sudden rush of emotion that had returned alongside my friend's NEXT. It couldn't have been easy to get a fifteen meter tall robot out of Aspina covertly, and I would be forever indebted to my mentor for this. "She's all yours." He said. I opened my mouth to reply, but I couldn't speak. Hector just smiled gently. "It's what Joshua would have wanted." I finally gathered my voice.

"Hector, I… I don't know what to say. Thank you so much!" I ran to the aging pilot and threw my arms around him. He laughed and tousled my dark hair.

"Don't mention it." He said as I pulled away. "Now that I'm going to be White Glint, you'll need to come up with a new name for her. While you're at it, I'm sure our friends at BFF and GA would be happy to provide us with some new weapons and equipment for you. And don't forget a paint job. We don't want Omer to be too confused when we're speeding past them." He winked at me. "I'll leave you with Abe. He'll help you fine tune everything, and I think he also has another surprise for you as well."

Hector turned away to walk over to his new NEXT, and Dr. Marsh stepped up to fill his space.

"We recovered some old, Rayleonard prototypes when Hector snuck into Aspina, including something I had been working on in my lab." He said. Abe motioned with a gloved hand at someone past me, and called out. "Qrow, would you be so kind as to fetch Ms. Rose the new part we've been working on." A middle aged man with dark hair quickly rushed off to find a trolley. "Rayleonard was known for their powerful energy blades, and their rapid firing solid state weaponry. However, some bigwig at their company had the bright idea of combining the two, although they didn't exactly know what they were doing. We took their designs and improved them, and the result is fascinating."

I heard the beeping of the trolley as it pulled up beside us, and Qrow stepped out from behind the controls. He was a rather lanky man, who stood a little taller than Dr. Marsh. "Qrow has been my apprentice here at Line Ark for years, and he is the one who made the breakthrough that allows this weapon to work." Abe said. "Qrow, if you please?"

"Of course, Doctor." Qrow responded as he rolled the cage down on the trolley. Inside was a large, black, diamond shaped object. At first glance it appeared to be a Rayleonard Moonlight blade like the one used by their premier swordsman, or rather woman, Anjou. But where the laser normally emerged, I could see a hint of silvery metal wedged between the creases.

"It's a Kojima particle-edged folding blade." Qrow explained. "The idea was to create a weapon that was as versatile as a laser sword but didn't drain as much energy, and that could always be active when needed so that the user doesn't have to worry about being out-drawn in close combat."

I leaned forward and touched the smooth surface. The blade's sheath was smooth and angular, typical of Rayleonard's designs. Such high quality craftsmanship, it was a shame they were gone. Omer should've been the ones to go down in the LYNX War, not Rayleonard.

"The problem with physical blades in the past," Qrow continued, "is that just having a long piece of metal where the entire surface is meant for striking weakened it overall, and the blades could easily be broken. So to fix it, I've designed an apparatus that can reposition a smaller blade for different strike zones instead of having a single chunk that can be snapped off."

"Hector said you had a preference for blades, so we figured you might be able to use this." Dr. Marsh said. "We'll mount it on your NEXT, if you'd like."

"Yes please. This thing looks incredible."

"Ha, I'm glad to hear you say that. While Qrow and I install this, why don't you take a look through GA and BFFs weapons catalog. If there's anything you want, let us know."

* * *

><p>Five days later, I stood looking over the flooded city that surrounded Line Ark from the main highway. Encased in the metal shell of the former White Glint, the ocean seemed almost serene. I couldn't even imagine a war going on here, despite the constant warnings and threats we had been receiving from The League. If, no, when that day came, Hector and I would be ready. But right now, I would get to have some fun. I had taken full advantage of BFF and GA's weapon offers, and I had outfitted my NEXT with a little of everything.<p>

In my right hand, I held onto a BFF 047ANSR, a standard issue sniper with a large magazine, excellent for drawn out battles. The integrated scope it carried would also help to improve my aim, as it relayed extra information to the NEXT's automatic targeting system. My simulated experience with snipers had also seen me develop a grudging respect for their power, and it was only fitting I carry a reminder of my own faults.

On my right-side back mount, I had attached a radar system, also from BFF. While it looked rather like an old boating paddle sticking up from the back of my NEXT, the 050 ANR radar was essential for situational awareness. The extra scanning range afforded to me would notify me of incoming missiles and enemy locations from a greater distance, and the extra time I gained to react would prove invaluable in many a battle.

The left-side back mount was equipped with a blocky, MSAC International chain missile launcher, the Musselshell. Sure, the name is kind of unorthodox, but no one can deny its power. I may not be a huge fan of back weapons, but sometimes filling the air with missiles can be a great help. Unless my opponent has flares, they either have to take some withering hits or exert a lot of energy to dodge them. Either way, I get the upper hand.

A set of extra boosters were mounted on my shoulders to provide me with increased thrust when dodging. Regrettably, they were Omer made, but after a while I found it more ironic that they would be taken down by someone using their own parts. A little bit of poetic justice if you ask me. The triple pronged boosters were painted my favorite shade of bright red with some black highlights, much like the rest of my weapons. And the greatest weapon of them all would be the one attached to my left wrist.

The folding blade had been repainted in the same shade of red, to stand out against the now solid black NEXT. It glistened on my arm, and I raised a hand closer to study it. Qrow said the mechanism had multiple positions for attack, and the blade itself should function identically to a laser sword in both speed, reach, and power. Whoever went up against this work of art was in a serious world of hurt.

Eager to test out this unique tool, I launched myself from the highway. Nothing felt more natural to me in that moment than the movements of the old White Glint. Dr. Marsh and I had made a few modifications to the booster systems and fire control system, but in all other aspects, it was still Joshua's frame. Part of me felt guilty as I reached the sea below, hovering just above the calm waters. I shouldn't be using Joshua's NEXT, not after he died away from it. It was like robbing a grave. But we needed every resource we could use to survive the coming storm. And when I activated the Overboost to jet towards the first building across the surf, I knew that piloting would be the best way to stay close to his memory. And I would honor his legacy.

Willing the blade out with a contraction of the hand, I saw a gleaming, silver sword sprout from my wrist. Only one edge was exposed for cutting, and I could see the other edge of the blade was part of a mechanical arm. The arm reached out and locked into place with the blade running parallel to it near the front. So far, I was impressed. As I reached the nearest office, I brought the blade back, and with a burst of speed drew it through the wall.

A greenish glow emanated from the weapon as the Kojima particles cleaved through the concrete and glass of the building with a barely audible hiss. As the blade emerged from the other side of my target, I spun around quickly to view the destruction. The wall was unblemished, save for a gap where my blade had cut a long, thin swath out of it. It had cut so smoothly that it hadn't produced any rubble. Now I was really impressed.

Rotating my balled up fist, I watched as the blade rotated upwards on an axis, locking in a position perpendicular to the manipulation arm. Now the blade was curved inwards, forming a crescent shape that resembled an old field scythe. It was funny how effective those things turned out to be for farmers against wolves. Turning the blade like this would reduce my reach slightly, but I could get much more power behind the strike. It was a wonderful system.

Satisfied with my weapon, I sheathed the scythe and began my ascent to the hangar. Professor Ozpin had notified me that I would be officially registered tomorrow, and I would start working immediately. But before then, I had to pick a name for my NEXT. I had poured my heart and soul into the coloring and armaments of this treasured piece of me, so much so that it was family. And the unique scythe blade I carried set me apart from any other LYNX of my time. In the end, I decided my NEXT would be known by the two most defining characteristics of it. My blade and myself. Crescent Rose.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! Now that we're finally out of the "Introduction" period, it's time for Ruby to make her mark on the world!<strong>

**But wait, where is the rest of Team RWBY? Don't worry, everyone will be introduced in time. **

**Some of the more perceptive readers may have noticed, we've already met some of these characters. Ruby just doesn't know it yet.**

**Thanks to everyone who is reading, and remember I am always open to suggestions.**


	7. Chapter 7: Radiation

**From here on in, no more time jumps, no more years of training. This is where it really begins. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Radiation<p>

The transport chopper's massive rotors sounded miraculously quiet in the small briefing room behind the cockpit. Unlike the outdated models used by Line Ark, the GA chopper was spacious enough to fit Crescent Rose completely inside it when lying down, which meant I could get out and walk around inside before we reached the mission area. They had arrived early this morning, flying straight to the hangar to pick me up. A uniformed man ushered me inside the dimly lit, cavernous quadrotor, and they wheeled in Crescent Rose just behind me. Fiona Jarnefeldt was waiting at the briefing table.

She hadn't changed much since I had first seen her in Aspina, stepping from that old helicopter. Her brown hair was still cut in the same short fashion as mine, and her blue eyes were brimming with intelligence. During the LYNX War she had served as an operator for Hector, monitoring him on missions and providing him with intel and support. Throughout their time spent together, they had developed an attraction to each other, and when we were all finally safe at Line Ark, Fiona had moved in with him. Hector spoke often of her kindness and grace under pressure, and his desire to shelter her from the wars, despite her excellent skills as an operator. She had known Joshua before the war as well, and mourned his loss greatly. Today, she was tagging along in my chopper to see me off on the maiden voyage of Crescent Rose.

"How are you feeling Ruby?" she asked softly. Through a year of training, Yang's warning still stuck with me. And to be honest, I was worried she had gotten it completely right._ Nothing can really prepare you for what's out there. What you have to do, it's not like the simulators. _

"I guess I'm a little nervous. It's my first mission, so I can't mess up now, can I?" I replied with a shaky smile. No matter how talented I was, I could freeze up at a critical moment, or read a situation incorrectly. Simulators couldn't account for every scenario, I had to be at the top of my game today, I couldn't let anything slip. Fiona gave me a reassuring look before directing my attention to a monitor suspended above us on the wall.

"You'll do fine, don't worry. I'll play back the briefing from Collared." She said before pressing a button on a tiny, hand-held remote. The monitor flashed to life, and I stared at it from across the table. A series of images began to appear, and a man's voice came through the speakers.

"Here's your mission. The client is GA America. The objective is the Interior Union force based at the Mimir Naval Port." it declared. A slightly fuzzy photo from a reconnaissance drone showed a very large station, filled with ships of all sizes and normals on the perimeter docks. It was situated in a massive ravine, with walls of solid rock stretching high into the air, effectively shielding the site from bombardment. The entire area was a hidden channel, easily blockaded and defended from another navy. But not from a NEXT.

"You are to launch a preemptive strike against the 3rd fleet while it is in port. The Interior Union has been leaning towards an alliance with Algebra, and GA wants to send them a warning as a deterrent. Don't let up on the attack until ordered to withdraw. The more damage and destruction you cause, the better your pay will be. This information is unconfirmed, but we believe a new-model Arms Fort is in dock for maintenance and supply. If it's there, don't let it get away. The client is offering a special bonus for its elimination." The voice droned.

"Well, that's about it. This is a good deal for the right LYNX." It finished. The screen went dark again. A simple search and destroy job against an obsolete force. The monitor was right. This would be easy.

"It's straightforward enough. Just be careful out there." Fiona said. "Usually the first mission is easy. Think of it like an exhibition for the companies. Show them what you've got." She smiled soothingly, and gently cradled my sweating hands. "Above all else, come home to us safely. You're more important than the mission."

"Thanks, Ms. Jarnefeldt. I'll do my best."

"I know you will. And please, call me Fiona."

* * *

><p>The roar of displaced water seemed faint through the audio receptors of Crescent Rose. Salty waves kicked up around my feet as boosters tore into the surface of the ocean. Just ahead was the entrance to the Mimir Canyon. The cliffs reached up even higher into the air than in the pictures, and like I had imagined, the narrow entrance was guarded.<p>

Four ships were stationed outside the pass, three battleships and a large aircraft carrier. Once, a force like this would have been enough to take an entire island. Now, the only thing navies had on their side were numbers. Which was why those numbers had to be lessened before they could be deployed. Thinning the herd before it stampedes.

"Fiona, can you hear me?" I asked without taking my eyes off of the ships. "I'm getting a lot of contacts on my radar, and I can't tell where the Arms Fort is." One of the unfortunate side effects of my specialized radar unit was that with the increased range, I could see enemies all over the place, making it hard to pick out just one. And with the promise of extra pay, I should definitely prioritize the vulnerable Arms Fort.

"I hear you Ruby. I don't have a visual from the chopper, or from our own radar readings. The canyon is causing a lot of interference, but once you get inside I can follow your camera feed and sync our radars. As soon as I have a location, I'll let you know."

"Thanks," I said, drawing a deep breath. "Alright, this is Crescent Rose, commencing mission."

In a blur of red and black, I was off, speeding over the water. My arms tensed up as I raided my weapons, chambering a sniper round and twisting the still sheathed blade into its straight position. I focused on the targets ahead. Compared to a NEXT, all of their armaments were small bore, their main cannons would have less effect than the guns of a Muscle Tracer. But this meant the same mob tactics applied to them. As long as I didn't get caught in-between multiple streams of concentrated fire, there was little the battleships could do to stop me. This would indeed be easy.

Muzzle flashes and the familiar patter of machine gun fire greeted me as I entered combat range. The guns had horrible tracking abilities, and it was simple for me to lazily drift left and right around their fire during my approach. I raised the sniper and took aim at the rightmost outlying battleship. With the single exception that I was preparing to eliminate, the navy was organized in a line parallel to the port's entrance. Bad move.

With a flash and a sharp crack, I sent a sniper round downrange at the battleship. It struck the main command tower, tearing a hole through multiple decks with the screech of metal. The bullet must have gone all the way through and struck the reactor behind the tower, as a large gas explosion erupted from the ship. Fractures spread along the hull as the fire traveled across the decks, and with a groan, it caved in two. The melting wreck sank into the ocean in the corner of my vision, and I wasted no time moving on to the other three ships.

The scythe unfolded from my arm, and I rotated the blade back inwards. Reaching out as far as I could to my side, I lined the blade up with the lower hulls of my targets. Bullets whizzed by closer than ever, but none of them touched me. With a Quickboost forwards to gain some momentum, I drew the scythe through the first battleship, creating a massive gash in the side that was quickly filling with water as the metal collapsed in on itself. Bold gunners who weren't abandoning ship continued to fire at this near point-blank range, but to no avail. No matter their aim, the cannons simply weren't able to keep up with my speed. I had Dr. Marsh to thank for that. At the cost of a higher energy drain, we had replaced the old boosters of White Glint with some more powerful ones. This meant I couldn't stay in the air or boost around as much as Joshua, but I was even faster overall. Officially my NEXT was Crescent Rose, but my black and red color scheme and the blur seen by my opponents led to the nickname "Red Wraith"…which was pretty cool, to be honest. But I still liked Crescent Rose better.

When the scythe emerged from the back of the its first victim, I Quickboosted again to gain more speed, quickly carving through the second battleship. An explosion rocked the boat as I ripped open the hull in a flash. The measly Interior Union defense force sank into the foaming water as I approached the carrier. I could see small transport helicopters just spinning up their blades in an effort to escape. Those pilots were pretty quick to already be in their choppers. It had only been seconds since I started my assault, but it took a couple minutes to prepare a helicopter for flight. I didn't have time to stop and think as the ship began to fall on its side, capsizing into the cold sea of Mimir.

"Ruby, there are two normals emerging from the Port entrance. There appear to be more inside, along with a multitude of MTs. The Interior Union knows you're here now, and your intentions. Get ready for a fight." Fiona commed. I turned to face the canyon opening in time to see two Aldra model Goppert G3 normals raise their weapons as they hovered low to the water. These normals were armed with basic laser rifles and a shield, and were more heavily armored than some of the newer, faster models in circulation. But they still posed little threat.

"Thanks Fiona, I'm on them."

With a burst of speed, I jetted around the Gopperts, outflanking their thick shields and targeting the vulnerable sides. Bright blue lasers hissed past me, but unlike the battleships, the normals were actually able to follow me to some extent. I had to boost out of the way of the second volley, but by the time the pilots were taking aim again, I was out of their line of fire. A burst of energy from my back, a few swipes of the arm, and the two Gopperts dropped heavily into the ocean with a splash, sparks flying from bisected torsos. I turned and dashed through the canyon opening, boxed in by the massive, sheer rock faces.

The narrow pass opened up into a large bay area, filled to the brim with warships and fuel tankers. I could see another passage off to my right that must have continued deeper into the port. Before I moved on, I needed to clear everything out. I burst forward and rotated to face the nearest fuel tanker.

A single, well placed shot ignited the fuel and sent a roaring, oily fireball into the sky, which quickly enveloped two other ships that happened to be too close. In response, I was met with a wall of return fire from the remaining vessels, as they quickly tried to pull away from their docks. None of them got far. Switching to my chain missiles, I fired a barrage at the two closest tankers and watched as twin explosions covered an entire section of the port. No more gunfire came from the smoke.

"This area is clear Ruby, keep going."

"Roger." I replied, turning towards the pass I had seen earlier. I rushed inside, and soon came upon an old submarine trying desperately to escape the port. It was outdated even by naval standards, and looked like it could be sunk with a strong tap on the hull. But a scythe swipe across the exposed conning tower worked as well. The long, black relic vanished under the waves without a trace, and I continued onwards through the canyon.

Another normal fell between the cliffs to a combination of rifle fire and particle blade. Small submarine hangars adorned the sides of the rock face, and it was easy enough to fire a couple shots in as I sped past, intent on finishing this mission quickly.

As I emerged from the narrow crevice, another large docking area lay open before me. This one was much more heavily guarded. MTs opened fire from across the bay, and battleships began strafing the area with lances of cannon shells, filling the air with gun smoke and metal. There were even more fuel tankers in this area, and the port to my left was easily devastated with a few shots. The entire area erupted into flames that spread over the water as oil spilled into the sea, and the heat actually began to cause damage to my hull. Quickly I moved away from the wreckage and turned my attention to the other staging area.

This must have been the hub of the Union's activities. A large fleet was scattered throughout the open bay, guns all pointed in my direction. Carriers and escort ships peeked out from hangars in the rock walls on either side, and two battleships sat front and center in the water. Protruding from one side of the canyon wall was an expansive docking facility, with storage buildings and personnel quarters dwarfed behind large cargo cranes and another tanker being serviced. GA had picked the right time to attack, with all this fuel lying around. It barely took any effort to destroy this place.

The battleships in this area were higher quality models than the ones I had faced earlier, and dozens of guns released a steel cloud in my direction. The sheer volume of fire made dodging everything impossible, so I threw myself out of the way of the worst of it. The green flare of my primal armor protected me from most of the damage, but the force of impact still caused some damage to Crescent Rose. I could feel them along my left arm and chest, little tiny pinpricks like I was being bitten at by insects.

My rifle spat out four rounds with deadly efficiency, igniting all the tankers in the area until it looked like the sea would evaporate in the inferno. Internal fires erupted through most of the fleet, as reactors either collapsed from the force of the gas explosions or overheated from the flames. Ships capsized onto the dock and lay beached, bleeding oil and fire. Others splintered apart into the churning waves. Within seconds, the ocean was littered with the sinking, dying skeletons of a dozen warships.

"Keep moving into the main hangar. The Arms Fort has to be inside."

I coasted past the devastated port and under the low ceiling of the entryway to the main hangar. The tunnel was carved directly into the cliff, and more Muscle Tracers lined pathways on the side, barely emerging from the water. Sniper fire sent them careening into the channel before they could get a shot off, and I drew closer to the end of the passage. A massive, metallic, and menacing vessel filled the tunnel exit.

"There, that's the Arms Fort! A sea-based Stigro model! Destroy it, quickly!"

The immense vehicle was barely contained in the main hangar, which stretched high up into the thick rock above. Stigro cut an impressive figure, with streamlined fins and hydrofoils holding up the main body. Its light brown surface was covered by intake and dispersal vents, and pockets of missile launchers dotted the upper structure. In the front, sitting just above the water line, was a huge laser blade. The Stigro was designed with speed in mind, to quickly cut down entire enemy fleets in seconds using the wide laser, wiping them away like one might wipe out a footprint in sand. The entire upper body was as tall as Crescent Rose, and most of the superstructure was devoted to the powerful generator and rockets that could propel the Stigro at speeds that eluded even the fastest NEXTs. But this meant armor was lacking, and the massive generator would rupture under any kind of abnormal stress. For example, the explosions from the three fuel tankers behind it. The Interior Union really needed to establish better safety protocols.

Hot alloys and oils from the detonating ships spread across the bottom of Stigro, and the concussive force from the reaction released a powerful shockwave that spread like wildfire. It slammed into me and actually pushed me back a little, causing some damage to my hull, but nothing major. Still I cringed. Staying this close to an explosion I caused was careless. I needed to watch what I was doing more carefully.

In any case, the Stigro was much closer, and it absorbed most of the blast with its thrusters and engine, which caught fire and exploded in a bright, orange ball of gas. The main generator groaned and died, and Stigro was wracked with internal detonations and fires as floors collapsed on themselves and mechanical systems fell apart. The majestic, floating fortress began to sink into the Ocean as the hydrofoils holding it afloat split in two, filling the foaming waters with scraps of metal.

"Good job, that's our bonus covered."

"Great! So what's left?"

"Scans say there are a few more ships at the entrance to the main hangar. It should be to your left, you can't miss it. It's where the Stigro entered, so it will be large."

"I see it, thanks."

The few remaining carriers and escort battleships of the rag tag 3rd Interior Union fleet were little trouble. Just a well placed shot to the generator here, and a couple scythe strikes there, and I was surrounded by wreckage in seconds.

"Excellent work, Ruby. GA thinks this will suffice, and they seemed very pleased that you took out the Arms Fort. It's time to come home. Please head back to the drop off point, so we can pick you up."

"On my way!" I replied with giddy excitement. I let out a pent up sigh of relief as I backtracked through the Mimir Naval Port. My first mission was officially completed, and with a near perfect performance, if I do say so myself. Of course, none of my other missions would be this easy. The Interior Union had practically helped me destroy their docks with all of the fuel tankers lying around. If anything, it was a sloppy practice and they needed to-

I froze as I passed by the main docking area I had seen before. The flames had started to subside, and survivors were running back and forth from the supply hangars that had been spared to the burning docks. The people looked so tiny from up here, but Crescent Rose's camera could zoom in with remarkable quality. I shouldn't have, but I did.

_Nothing can really prepare you for what's out there. What you have to do, it's not like the simulators. _

I found it hard to draw breath as I watched people run towards the fire to pull friends and crew members from the beached ships. Valiant souls unleashed torrents of foam from hoses connected to the remaining buildings as the fire crept inward. Fiery ghosts stumbled from the ship, looking almost like people as they fell to their knees and burned. A man sat amidst them, leaning over one of the charred, ruined forms, with his hands reaching for its neck. He pulled away with two minuscule, silvery ovals, which he clutched to his chest so hard it appeared that he meant to embed them into his skin. People rushed around him, calling out instructions and warnings, spraying chemical foam into the wreckage, pulling injured people to safety. None of them ever stopped to look up, but this one man did. He looked straight up at me, looming over everything like some god of war, surveying his art. Sunlight glinted from two thin, wet lines on his face, before he closed his eyes and turned his head downwards. I felt my stomach beginning to churn, and my heart pumped in my chest only with great effort. An indescribable feeling of tightness and despair gripped me, and I realized I was unable to move.

_What I have to do._

"…Ruby, respond! What are you doing? Get out of there, the Interior Union will have reinforcements arriving any minute!"

"Fiona, they…" I started to respond. But the voice had not been Fiona's. It was a man's, someone who I was very familiar with.

"Ruby, please, I know what you're going through and I can help. But only if you get to the transport right now! Fiona can't wait any longer."

"Hector…it's…it's…"

_It's not like the simulators._

* * *

><p>That night was rough. Most of it I spent in the bathroom, wiping my face and sitting against the wall near the toilet, in case I lost control of my stomach again. The door was shut to stifle the crying sounds, but I knew my parents were awake in their bed, listening to their little girl weeping and trying to close her eyes.<p>

But I couldn't. The man and his friend would come back every time I did. Flames danced under my eyelids, and I would burn to death if I let them fill my vision.

I didn't get any sleep at all, and the only reason I knew it was daytime was when my father knocked on the door.

"Ruby, I'm coming in, okay?"

I choked out a yes, before sliding myself around to face the entrance to our room. My parents stood in the frame, still in their pajamas. Mother spoke first, her voice quivering. I could see she had been crying too.

"Please, baby, talk to us. We love you no matter what."

I wasn't so sure that they could. My parents were very compassionate, but they weren't there at Mimir. They didn't know exactly what I saw. What I did.

"I love you too, I just… Oh god, I'm a monster." My crying began anew.

"No sweetie, no no no, you aren't, you aren't. " Mother crouched down to my level and wrapped me up in a hug. I felt some scattered tears fall onto my back. "Don't ever say that."

"All those ships, gone… each one had hundreds of people… and the port was on fire… people were burning…all my fault, everything." I sniffled as my eyes grew even more red.

"Ruby, I don't-"

A knock on the apartment door snapped away my mother's attention, and mine for a brief moment. My father walked over to the door and threw it open, to reveal the trademark faded olive trench coat.

"Taiyang, Summer," Hector nodded to my parents. My father stepped back from the door, and my mother reluctantly stood up. I followed suit, albeit unsteadily. His kind, silver eyes seemed to radiate understanding and concern, and I knew he was here to talk. "Could I speak with Ruby, please?"

My parents turned to me as one, and I nodded my approval. With a final rub on my shoulder, my mother stepped out into the hall, and my father followed her before closing the door. Hector and I stood alone inside the room. He motioned me to sit down on the worn sofa.

"How are you holding up?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Not that well, I guess," I sniffled a little. "I always knew I would have to kill but-"

"The simulators don't show you what it really looks like, do they?"

"No, they don't. I thought that Yang's warning all those years ago meant that the simulators couldn't replicate real human skill. But that's not what she meant."

"At first glance, destroying a muscle tracer, or normal, or a battleship seems like nothing. There is so much metal around the human element that we tend to forget it exists." Hector said. We sat close together, leaning on each other's shoulders as we stared at the blank news screen. "It's not often that you'll see on the personal level the destruction you've caused, but it's always there, and it's something we have to learn to live with. But that doesn't mean we're evil, it doesn't make us murderers. We do what we do because it's our job and there is no other solution."

I looked over at him as my tears began to dry.

"You're a good person Ruby, and I know that if there was another way you would take it. But we're committed to our paths now, and we can't turn back. We will take many lives in our fight to survive, but never once in human history has one group profited without the expense of another. It is a sacrifice we have to make to protect those we care about, and you must be confident in your beliefs or else hesitation will get you killed."

Hector turned to look at me with a grim smile on his face, one of determination and trust.

"Remember what we're fighting for. Freedom, justice, family, and friends. I have complete faith in you, and I know you're capable of great things." He gently massage my shoulder before standing. The gesture was well meaning, and I started to feel better.

"If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me." He said, starting for the door. "Oh, and when you're given a mission without very specific guidelines, usually you can bend the rules a little bit. Most of the time, companies will be happy even if you just cripple a force and not outright destroy it; Sinking ships with minimal damage for example, or destroying production lines instead of an entire factory. I mean, what are they going to do? Yell at someone in a NEXT?" He scoffed. I fell back in the sofa and laughed, and Hector smiled widely. It felt good to be thinking more lightly now.

"Thanks for everything Hector, I'm glad you came by. If you would, let Professor Ozpin know I'll be ready for my next mission soon. And tell Fiona I said hi, and thanks."

"I will, Ruby."

In a few short seconds, he was gone, and my parents were back in the room fretting over me. It took a little convincing, but I assured them I was fine, and the rest of the day I spent in the loving care of my own charges, those who I had to protect. Everyone in this city, who had lost so much and suffered under the rule of the corporations, I had to protect. I wouldn't let them down.

That night, sleep came easier. When I shut my eyes and the fires came back, I wasn't afraid. It was an undesirable by-product of war, and something I never wished to see again. But I knew I might, and I would just have to steel myself for when that time came. I can't say I always thought twice about taking a life, but when I did the act I firmly believed in all my heart that there was no alternative.

There would always be war, and there would always be casualties. For now, the only thing that mattered was that Line Ark was not one of them. As the fires subsided and the images began to fade, I drifted peacefully into a deep and dreamless slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>First mission complete! Ruby's career is just beginning, and this hasn't even scratched the surface of her experiences and abilities.<strong>

**For all of you who played ACfA, I hope I'm not alone in thinking that the IU really has some lax safety protocols ****with all the fuel tankers lying around.**

**But I digress, I hope you all liked it!**

**Chapter 8 "I Burn" will be out ASAP. **


	8. Chapter 8: I Burn

**Sorry for the delay, here's chapter 8!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: I Burn<p>

The sun was blazing gold through the cloudless sky as we flew over the mountains to the Richland Agricultural Plant. Pleased with the results from a few days ago, GA had wasted no time in contracting me for another job, this one in a less watery environment.

The Plant was neutral territory. Everyone needed to eat, and as the amount of productive land decreased by the year, Richland became the premier agricultural center for most of the companies. A large variety of crops were grown all throughout the valley region; Radishes, onions, zucchini, and peas made up the majority of the vegetables in the area we were headed to, but there were many other fields in any direction, just beyond the nearest mountain. In order to provide basic survival needs for civilians and corporate officials alike, The League had decided that no one company could own all the fields, and each member of The League was allocated an equal portion of the produce.

In their fight with Global Arms, the company Algebra had tried to infiltrate GA's fields. They had been pushed back by the defense forces, until they managed to commandeer two of GA's "Land Crab" Arms Forts stationed in the region. Despite Now, GA was pulling out all the stops, and I was going to be working with one of their LYNX and operators to eliminate the saboteurs with extreme prejudice.

"Prepare to engage, the drop zone is hot." The pilot yelled over the speaker. Already hooked in to Crescent Rose, I sat motionless in the loading bay. "We'll be doing a combat insertion. LYNX, I'm going to disengage the locks and shoot you out the back in three, two, one."

The large helicopter rotated around as the doors opened around my feet, flooding the otherwise dark loading bay with light. Clamps buckled and shuddered as they released from the black hull of my NEXT, and a magnetic rail launched me with surprising speed from the rear of the craft. Reorienting myself as the optical sensors adjusted to the sun, I saw my radar pick up the signature of my partner.

Looking over at the source, I saw a heavily armed, blocky GA model dropping from another quadrotor. Zooming in to inspect its weapons, I saw a long, tubular "Ogoto" grenade launcher and a pyramidal "Dearborn 03" VTF missile launcher mounted on the back; Both were powerful heavy weapons. The arms held twin GA spread bazookas, a newer armament that looked like a large cannon but functioned similarly to a shotgun. If shotguns fired high explosive shells, that is. All of these weapons packed enough explosive force to level the valley, although I hoped the pilot had enough control to prevent that. The squared legs and arms of the NEXT itself were painted a mix of light and dark browns, and a pair of anti-missile flare launchers stood out from the shoulders. The broad chest, head and weapons were a mix of some bright orange and brighter yellow. The optical lens at the base of the tower-like headpiece glowed a light purple as the pilot prepared for battle. With these weapons and that paint job, there was only one LYNX who this could be.

"Yang!"

The large NEXT wheeled in midair to face me. If it was possible for a fifteen meter tall weapon of mass destruction to look happy, I was seeing it now.

"Ruby! I didn't know I was working with you!"

The NEXT Ember Celica jetted over to my position and we began to descend to the ground, landing in the thick, verdant grass on the edge of the fields.

"I'm so excited Ruby! We'll be fighting side by side, just like we always talked about."

"How have you been Yang? We hadn't heard from you in a while."

"Oh, I'm fine, just working my way up the corporate ladder. How's everyone at the Ark?"

"We're good, no one has bothered us for months now and-Yang look out!"

A low rumble like thunder on the horizon came from the Land Crabs as they fired on our position. Each one let loose a volley of four high caliber shells from massive cannons mounted atop their frames, enough to severely damage either of our NEXTs. I boosted nimbly to the side and emerged unscathed. Yang did the same, and together we turned to face our aggressors.

"I guess we'll have to catch up later, Yang. I'll handle the normals and MTs if you take out the first Land Crab."

"It would be my pleasure."

With a burst of speed, we were off, blazing through the fields towards the massive, ten legged monstrosities towering into the air. Emerging from around their feet to meet us came almost a dozen Muscle Tracers and a few normals, Type-Dulakes from the looks of them. They were similar enough to the Gopperts I had faced in Mimir, but were more lightly armored and lacked a shield. Easy prey.

I picked up the pace as I closed with the first Land Crab, strafing to the left and dodging another volley of fire. The shells kicked up dirt and left craters in the land. They weren't explosive, but their sheer size and force was devastating. I unsheathed my scythe as I boosted into the throng of MTs. I was close enough now that the first Land Crab couldn't aim at me, and the second couldn't fire for fear of hitting its allies. Perfect.

Two rounds from my sniper dropped a pair of walkers, and then I was among them, slicing through legs and weaponry around me. A number of them collapsed uselessly to the ground as legs gave way to the Kojima scythe. The group was so tightly clustered together that I barely had to move to be within reach of my next opponent. Extending the scythe as far from my body as possible, I spun in a wide arc, incapacitating three more Muscle Tracers while I fired on an outlier.

From somewhere to my left, I heard more cannon fire from the first Land Crab. Explosions rocked the air and my radar picked up a large amount of missiles being launched. Knowing Yang, all of this was probably directed right at her.

"How's it going Yang?" I commed as I fired a volley of missiles at an encroaching Dulake.

I was met with silence for a moment, and then a rather loud response. I was thankful that I could adjust the sound levels of the communicator.

"Just fine Ruby!"

"Are you okay?"

"Never better! Give me a minute and…okay, watch this."

I heard a large explosion and multiple thuds, probably owing to the shearing and warping of metal as Yang assaulted the Land Crab. I almost lost my concentration and barely dodged a spray of lasers from the surviving normals. As I returned fire, I noticed another comm channel opening up, this one on a public frequency.

"It's in here with us!"

"Everybody get out! Run!"

"Hey boys, happy to see me?"

I cringed a little as I thought about those sorry Algebra men in there. Yang didn't do so well with enclosed spaces.

A massive green blast erupted from the seams and joints of the Land Crab. Explosions rippled through the joints and fire shot from the cannons as they exploded in a terrifying display of force. Metal armor peeled from the sides and embedded itself haphazardly in the ground below. The Arms Fort gave an audible moan as it lost power and collapsed into the ground, the six knees in the front and the four in the back giving way and dropping the rectangular center like a massive rock. I took to the air to avoid the shockwave that blew through the fields below me, probably taking out a couple days worth of food for Line Ark. Such a waste.

Yang emerged from a smoking hole in the top of the Land Crab, Ember Celica looking none the worse for wear.

"Looks like that was a _soft-shell_ Crab, eh?"

I merely sighed at her attempt at humor. Sometimes, she still acted like a kid. But she did just take out an Arms Fort in a pretty impressive and kind of menacing way, so I let this one slide.

"I'll get the next one while your PA recharges. I'm closer and faster anyway." I said as I began charging an Overboost. By funneling my PA into a jet stream, I could propel Crescent Rose at even higher speeds. But the action left me without armor and vulnerable, so I still had to be careful. Some Overboost units, like whatever Yang had, could be equipped with assault armor, which also drained PA. But they were still extremely powerful weapons, as a bunch of Algebra saboteurs had just learned.

"Well what am I supposed to do, fly in circles? Carve our names into the ground with explosives?"

"I left you a few normals. Why don't you occupy yourself with them, this won't take long."

"Ugh, fine."

I just shook my head with a smile. She had seemed pretty enthusiastic about carving out our names. For a while, I would have to disappoint.

Shots rang out from Yang's twin bazookas as she engaged the two remaining Dulakes, and I launched myself like an arrow straight at the second Land Crab. It began firing volley after volley of cannon fire as I closed, but they were easy enough to dodge in the open field. As I approached, I let loose a few sniper rounds and a salvo of missiles. Unfortunately I could see they barely dented the thick armor of the Arms Fort. Yang had used extremely high-powered explosives to cut through, ones that were made for destruction on a large scale. My weapons were more precise and personal, but as a result they were rather limiting in my options for offense. I continued forwards as I asked Yang for help.

"Yang, any idea where I should hit it? That armor's too strong for my sniper and missiles."

An unfamiliar, male voice with a slightly australian accent answered my call, from a closed GA channel. I had almost completely forgotten that Yang's operator was supposed to be looking out for both of us.

"LYNX Ruby Rose, this is the operator of Ember Celica. The underbelly is unarmored, strike there. Go for the inside of the legs too, they're your best chance at stopping it."

I could hear another blast behind me as the last normal exploded in a mass of oil and heat. Looking ahead, I saw the second Land Crab readjusting its aim to target my big sister while her back was turned and her PA was low. I had to hurry.

Locking away my missile launcher and tucking my sniper in close, I flipped open the blade of the scythe into the long, straight edge better suited for large targets. Until now, I don't think I had truly understood the size and scale of these Arms Forts, but moving through the hulking shadow to get under it really left quite an impression. It's no wonder companies hired NEXTs to take them out. We could swoop in with surgical precision and eliminate them quickly, but a skirmish between two of these would just level everything in-between.

As I approached the legs in front, I slowed to a halt just behind the treads on each foot and made a ninety degree turn to position myself parallel to the six appendages. My targets lined up nice and neat before me, I saw exactly where I wanted to swing: A gap in the armor plates between the suspension pistons and the superstructure of the leg and foot. I positioned my scythe carefully and charged.

I was surprised by how thick each mechanical tendon was, but the Kojima particle edge performed beautifully. There was barely any resistance as I blazed through the silver alloys, which scraped against each other in a shower of sparks as the muscles of the legs slid from their joints. The Arms Fort began to slope forwards as it fell, and fires started in electrical circuits overloading in the back legs as they vainly struggled to support the main structure alone. But, like a dying, cornered animal raising a paw for one last strike, the gunners kept turning their cannons towards Yang even as they fell. Frantically, I called out to her.

"Yang, look out!"

"I see it Ruby, don't-."

"Ruby, finish off the Land Crab quickly. Strike its underbelly with your scythe, it should rupture the power core."

"But I'm fine I-"

"Yang, let her do this."

I blocked out the conversation Yang was having with her operator and focused on the collapsing Arms Fort. NEXTs came with auto-stabilization drives, which automatically reoriented them into an upright position. Normally, they were never turned off. Most LYNX had no need to move on their side or back, other than when they were loaded into a transport. But a thought came to me then, something that would eventually give rise to a new level of skill that at the time I couldn't begin to believe I would possess.

Turning off the stabilizing drives, I carefully flew into the air, scythe held out. It took a lot of work to stay aloft without them, a surprising amount to be honest. But there was no time to go back. I boosted forward, skimming along the underbelly of the Land Crab. As I passed the center, I locked the scythe outwards and threw myself sideways, so that the blade was positioned to carve the smooth surface straight down the middle. And carve it did.

I had to push my boosters hard to drag the blade all the way through the long surface of the Arms Fort, but the results were worth it. As I reached the rear of my quarry, the sudden lack of pressure against the blade caused me to spin around as it emerged from back of machine. I landed a little more heavily than I would've liked to, and nearly fell over before I reactivated the stabilizers.

As I stood clear of the hind legs and looked back, the Land Crab seemed unaffected for a moment, before it began to sag downwards. The massive tear in the belly was growing larger by the minute, as the weight of the now-compromised generator began to focus on the split. The only warning I got before it exploded was a shower of green sparks from the dark crevice, and then it erupted into a pyromaniac's dream. Explosions tore apart the entire structure, and machinery came tumbling, charred beyond recognition, through the gash, spilling the guts of the Arms Fort across a field of peas. I lowered my weapons as the hulking behemoth fell before me, guns mauled and silent. Mission complete.

* * *

><p>Smoke curled lazily into the sky as Yang and I sat in the grass atop a nearby hillside. From here, the fields looked small, like different shaded spots across a great green carpet that stretched between the mountains. I couldn't remember the last time I had actually felt grass, or if I ever had before then. I suppose sometime long ago before there was any war, I might have. But my memories of the feeling were lost to me now.<p>

Yang lay stretched out on her back at the top of the incline, hands hidden somewhere beneath her golden hair, which sprawled out below her. I sat cross-legged, absently plucking strands of the soft grass in front of me as we waited for pick up. Crescent Rose and Ember Celica stood motionless like sentinels behind us, locked up and ready for transport.

Abruptly, Yang sat up, thin blades of green falling from the back of her head. Her hair seemed radiant as it fell across her tan jumpsuit in the bright sun that beat down on us. She seemed to enjoy it, but with my paler complexion I would probably burn if I was out here much longer. This black jumpsuit didn't help with the heat either.

"So," she inquired, bumping up against me with her elbow. "How are Mom and Dad?"

"They're fine, I guess." I muttered. I know my high AMS should make piloting easy, but now I just felt tired. "We all miss you."

"I miss you guys too. Sorry I haven't called or visited, I've been super busy lately at work. With Algebra getting more bright ideas like this one, I doubt I'll have any free time for a while."

I nodded in understanding. I doubted it would get any simpler for me either, since it seemed like we had a full scale war on our hands. Everything I saw before me was vulnerable to the ferocity of the corporations, every vibrant field worker, every chirping bird and buzzing insect. In Aspina and Line Ark though, everything was clustered and condensed. Out here, the light breeze tasted cool and fresh, and the sun felt warm in a way that the thick windows of a building prevented it from feeling. The valley itself was alive with people and plants and a few animals, all pressing on despite the catastrophic battle that had taken place barely a hundred meters away. It was all innocent and pure and safe. It was beautiful.

"Yang, when everything is over, and Omer is gone, and no one is fighting, let's come out here again." I said. Yang looked at me with a caring smile as I continued.

"I want to look out over this valley, and see everyone who we love living together in peace and safety. I want to sit up here again, and know that we did the right thing by fighting, and that it all will end well."

Yang wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me in close for a hug. She had a very tight grip, but her control had increased with her age.

"I'd like that too, Ruby." She said sincerely. As she pulled away, I tried to ease us back to more casual conversation while we waited for pickup.

"What else have you been up to Yang? Meet any other LYNX?"

"Well, I guess I technically met Shamir RaviRavi. We fought to a standoff before I was ordered to pull out. Pardon my french, but she is one crazy bitch." She sighed, and I laughed a little.

"Oh I've certainly heard of her. Algebra's infamous Femme-Arachnid." Jokingly, I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial level. "They say she's really sadistic and unhinged, and enjoys setting traps for her enemies like a spider."

"She is. And she does. And she laughs like a maniac the whole time she's taunting you." Yang shivered. Clearly I had brought up something unpleasant, so I punched her elbow lightly. It seemed to snap her out of whatever memory she was in.

"Ah, I'm sure we can take her." I said reassuringly. "But what I meant earlier was have you met any important LYNX in GA? Or was that talk about climbing the corporate ladder all nonsense?"

"No, no, I've risen in their ranks pretty quickly. For starters, I have a higher AMS aptitude than a lot of their pilots. I also happen to have the most combat experience against Algebra's forces, save for my operator."

I was puzzled by that statement. Her operator? They didn't see combat, so who was she talking about? The wind picked up behind us as two transports grew closer, hovering over our stationary war machines. Both Yang and I stood quickly and turned around to watch as the NEXTs were hooked into mag locks and slowly retracted inside the large bays. They came to rest flat on their backs inside the large helicopters, and the two transports began to descend all the way to the ground, flattening grass with wind and steel alike.

As we started for the vehicles, a figure approached from Yang's chopper. He wore an old, black leather jacket over a plain red undershirt. Some loose fitting jeans and black combat boots rounded out a man whose clothes I could only compare to that of a rock musician from times long past. His face didn't look the part so much though. He looked fit, but could have been in his late thirties or early forties judging by the thin lines developing on his forehead. His thick, black hair was cut in a flat top about an inch above his scalp, and a similarly dark moustache hid his upper lip. A pair of weary green eyes scanned us both up and down as he stood hands pocketed waiting for Yang.

"Sorry that took so long, the pilots wanted to be sure there weren't any remaining contacts around these hills." He said. The rocker turned to me and extended a large hand.

"Ms. Rose, I didn't introduce myself earlier. Name's Adrian, but you can call me Roadie. Everyone else does." I shook and was surprised by his grip. It was just as strong, if not more so, than Yang's. But that name… an operator who had the most experience fighting Algebra…

"Wow, you're the rank 4 LYNX!" I cried. Standing before me was GA's top soldier, a living legend from the LYNX War. Piloting the NEXT Feedback, Roadie had been rank 36 then, and was cast aside as mere cannon fodder for his low AMS. But as he built up an illustrious combat record, the companies started paying attention. Now, he was one of the most respected members of Collared and The League, and the supervisor of GA's pilots.

"I didn't think I'd meet you so soon! It's an honor to be working with such a skilled veteran, really." I fawned. Roadie just chuckled.

"Oh, I'm really not that skilled. I've just been doing this forever, and over time you pick up some things. Once you've seen it all, it gets a little easier. But you showed me something different today, and I thank you for that."

"For what?"

"The way you fight with that scythe weapon. I've never seen a blade like that, and flying without stabilizers is very unorthodox and draining. I've only seen one other pilot even attempt that, and it was in a Rayleonard simulation."

"Thanks but—wait, a Rayleonard LYNX did this too? What happened to him?"

"Well, he got though the simulation perfectly. But after that he dropped off the radar. I think he was just a test subject. I never saw him again, and I guess the project was scrapped during the war." Roadie shrugged.

"The base design for my scythe came from Rayleonard. Maybe they were testing a prototype?" I added.

"I didn't see any scythe in use, just guns. It was an indoors operation, room to room fighting in a factory. This guy was very good, flipping upside down on ceilings and walls to get a better angle on opponents, rolling his NEXT to dodge shots in close quarters. It was very impressive, but they only released a single recording of him in action. I never fought or heard of anyone else using that style, so I guess he's gone." He sighed heavily. "Oh well. Just more wasted talent."

Yang cut into our conversation from the side, growing bored of just standing around.

"Roadie's been watching over me for a while now sis, and he's an awesome mentor! Kinda like Hector, but with a mustache." The senior LYNX shot her a look before turning back to me.

"Speaking of Hector, how is that old Raven? We haven't really gotten much news down from the CEOs, and everything else is League propaganda discrediting him as a radical terrorist."

"He's fine, and taking to the new White Glint well." I paused as I considered pressing for information. "Roadie, what exactly do you know about our situation?" I asked cautiously.

"Yang filled me in a while ago. Everything starting with Joshua O'Brien's abduction to her leaving Line Ark. I'm sorry about Joshua, I know the two of you were close. I sparred with him a few times. He was a good kid, a real straight shooter."

"Thanks."

"Your sister has made some real ripples at GA, you know. She pretty much wrote the book on CQE."

"CQ what?"

"Close Quarters Explosives. After some skirmishes with Algebra, Yang complained enough about our lack of hard hitting close range weapons that the R&D boys developed the spread bazookas she uses today."

"I just applied boxing logic to the problem," Yang chimed in. "If you can't dodge a hit, make sure the one you give back is twice as hard. We couldn't keep up with Algebra's speed, so we just made a more powerful shotgun weapon than theirs." Yang beamed with pride. "My babies will take out anything that gets close."

Roadie rolled his shoulders a little and stretched as he moved to take his leave.

"Anyway, I've been observing Yang's missions to see if she's ready for her own babysitting job. Did she tell you? We pulled up some prestigious grunt from a normal division with an AMS compatibility and just slapped him in a NEXT. It's supposed to be a test to see how easy the newer systems are on the LYNX's mind, but I think it's a bad idea. They didn't even give me time to train him on the basics."

"I'll be going with him to try and keep him from dying." Yang said. "We're supposed to ambush an Interior Union transport convoy tomorrow." I nodded in acknowledgement. My fateful attack on the IU seemed to have had the opposite effect. Now, they were about to declare open war on GA. The only thing that stopped them from allying with Omer and Algebra was Omer's quarrel with Torus, a former subsidiary and working partner of the Union. The stage was set for yet another global war. Wonderful.

Yang swept me up in another powerful hug before starting for the ramp into her transport. "I'll miss you little sis. Take care." She said.

"I will, don't worry about me."

Yang smiled before quickly turning and walking past her operator, waving him on to follow her as she stepped up into the loading bay.

"C'mon, let's hit the _Roadie_ again." She called. I just gave a sympathetic grimace and a shrug to the exasperated veteran.

"Did she do this a lot at home?"

"All the time."

He sighed as he turned away, but I thought I caught a tiny smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Anyway, it was good to meet you Ms. Rose. I'm sure we'll meet again someday."

"Good to meet you too. Bye Yang!"

My sister turned and waved to me as the ramp closed behind Roadie, and I quickly entered my own helicopter as theirs took off. Taking a seat in the briefing room against the wall, I nestled my arm on the side of my head and closed my eyes. Within seconds, I was soundly asleep, exhausted from my efforts, the aroma of the clean air and vibrant grass still fresh in my nose.

* * *

><p><strong>Unfortunately, updates will probably just be slower from here on out. School is escalating very quickly, I've got a thesis to do, colleges to apply for, blargh.<strong>

**Hope everyone is enjoying this so far. I apologize if I alienate any Armored Core die hards with the whole stabilization booster thing. I just needed a way to fully utilize the scythe, and that seemed like a reasonable excuse. And if you have a very visual imagination, it looks completely badass.**


	9. Chapter 9: Viper

**Sorry for such a long delay! So much is happening outside of this it's hard to find a good time to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 9.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Viper<p>

Something about this morning just seemed…lazy. Maybe it was the lack of activity in the public areas, maybe it was the way the morning sun lingered on the horizon, filling the sky with orange and purple. We didn't have any missions scheduled, so I was hoping I could sleep in. Emil and Ozpin, on the other hand, still wanted me ready just in case of emergencies. There go my plans to wake up at eleven.

I trudged through breakfast in my jumpsuit, just in case I had to jump into Crescent Rose. But it was warm and breezy outside, so I sat on the edge of one of the old helipads that adorned the upper highway of Line Ark's connector with a small bowl of cereal. Up here, I could see the whole of the flooded city below, casting long shadows on the calm waters. This may have been the turbulent Atlantic Ocean before, but now waves were a rarity. Water itself in most other places was growing more and more scarce, just like crops. And also like crops, fresh water was considered essential for life and The League had declared that no one company could control all the sources. For all their failures and underhandedness, at least The League tried to provide basic rights for people. Although I'm sure none of it was Omer's doing.

As I crunched down on another spoonful of sugary Marshmallow Flakes, I saw a speck in the distance. Squinting in the light of the morning sun, the speck took on the form of a transport with GA markings, closing fast. I pulled out my comm pad.

"Hector? Did we have any incoming shipments scheduled for today?"

"No, why?"

"There's a chopper coming in, from GA."

"I'm with Oz and Glynda, we see it. We'll try hailing them now, but just in case something's wrong, report to the hangar."

"Right," I closed the pad and quickly headed for the nearest elevator. Normally we were given some kind of heads up about visits, owing to our unique political situation. Anything unscheduled could be a serious threat to our security, and we had to act accordingly. I stopped off at my room only to dispose of my cereal bowl and splash a little water in my face. When I entered the hangar, I could hear the roaring of our normal AC forces skating out onto the highway.

They had been training for years now, although none of them had seen real combat yet. Ironically, that slimy boy from our first day at Line Ark was now a higher ranking captain, with his own squad. By all accounts, he had really turned his attitude around. I guess Yang's beating had set him straight.

I walked over to a console where Hector stood with Glynda and Ozpin, all staring intently at a screen. Ozpin looked up at my approach.

"Glad you could join us Ms. Rose. We've been monitoring this transport for a few minutes, and it appears unarmed. Scans indicate it is empty, although this is still rather odd. Mr. Gustav is attempting to contact GA now, but be ready to arm yourself."

I nodded in acknowledgement as I craned my neck to get a look at the view screen. The helicopter was getting closer, and now hovered just outside the hangar doors. Twelve large guns surrounded it as the three normal squads took aim. A beep sounded off to my right, and I saw Hector turn aside to check his comm pad. He wore a relieved expression when he faced us again.

"That was Emil, he says to let them in. They're picking something up."

My brow furrowed with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. What would they be picking up from here? We didn't produce anything that we could spare. The large doors of the hanger shuddered as they opened, and natural light filled the room, riding on the breeze coming from the transport's rotors. As they touched down, a uniformed man stepped out from the transport bay.

"Hector, what are they picking up?" I asked without taking my eyes from the man.

"If you agree, they're taking you."

I turned to him mouth agape with confusion. If they wanted to pick up Crescent Rose, they wouldn't have landed where they did. She was stationed two spaces down from this entrance.

"Do they need me for a mission or what?"

"Why don't you go see for yourself."

I walked down the stairs to the pad apprehensively, and the uniformed man strode forward to meet me.

"Ms. Rose, your sister has requested your presence on a mission. She would ask you to join us as her operator, since Mr. Roadie is absent." He stared me down expectantly, and in a rather aggressive way. It was kind of unnerving. But I couldn't leave Yang hangin'.

I glanced over at Ozpin and Glynda, and they both gave nods of approval.

"Alright, I'll do it!" As soon as the words left my mouth the man wheeled and started back for the chopper briskly. I had to take longer than normal strides to keep up with him. "Where are we going? What's the mission?" I asked. The man answered over his shoulder as we took seats in the briefing room of the transport.

"Former Peace City Area. This is a training mission for our newest pilot, Don Colonel. The IU foolishly left a transport unit unguarded in the hopes that it could slip under our radar. Needless to say, it didn't work."

I nodded. This was the job Yang had mentioned yesterday. Although I wouldn't get to fight alongside my sister directly, at least I would get to see her again. And I would get to see this new pilot in action. With a little luck, we may have another ace on our hands. Roadie did mention he was a former normal pilot, so at least he would have some combat experience. In any case, Yang was there, so nothing could go wrong, right?

For a training mission, GA was a little heavy-handed with the amount of firepower allotted to our small party. From my seat in the sky, the video display and the radar picked out two NEXTs and six normals hidden among the blackened, eroded buildings jutting from the sand. The normals were armed with bazookas, similar to the ones we had back at Line Ark. Those alone would be enough to obliterate the four Interior Union trucks that puttered through the dunes. But two NEXTs as well? It would be a wonder if a single atom survived.

Don Colonel's NEXT, Wonderful Body, was constructed very similarly to Ember Celica. It was also covered in a darker military camouflage pattern and more heavily armored than Yang's flashy yellow machine. Also like Yang's, it was equipped with a set of shoulder mounted flares and had a spread bazooka in its left hand. Its back held a set of "Osage 03" and "Wheeling 01" vertical missiles, and its right hand held a standard issue rifle. A overall balanced build for physical weaponry, one that could perform adequately in nearly any situation. Now utilizing it effectively, on the other hand, was all up to the pilot.

"Hey sis, I see you got the message!" A cheery voice blasted through my headset. I turned the volume down. "Ready to watch a pro go to work?"

"Yang, technically I'm also a pro."

"Oh, alright miss know-it-all prodigy. I'll ask again, are you ready?"

"Yes, Yang, I'm ready." I shook my head and opened a channel to Don Colonel. "Mr., um, Colonel," I paused, unsure if that was his actual name or his rank. "This is Ruby Rose, I'll be serving as your operator for this mission. " The voice that answered was one of gruff confidence that only comes from having survived through years of conflict.

"Acknowledged miss Rose. Just call me Don." His comm clicked off abruptly.

Well he certainly didn't seem like the chatty type. I'm sure Yang will talk enough for the both of them. Suddenly, a tiny blip appeared on the edge of my radar. Then another, and another, and another.

"Alright everyone," I called. "Our targets have arrived, approaching from the south. Five minutes until they're in range, stay hidden in the city until then."

I was met with affirmative replies from both the normal pilots and Don Colonel. I thought I heard Yang grumbling, but she still confirmed my order. The wind began to pick up, and sand was kicked over the buildings, breaking on skyscrapers like a turbulent sea and caking everything in a layer of light brown. The radar display fizzled a bit, but then cleared. The camera, however, was slowly losing all image quality. If this got any worse, we might have a problem.

The sand on the video camera was so distracting that I failed to notice the transports had gotten within range, until Yang spoke up.

"Uh, Ruby? I have a visual on the transports and they're… stopped. Should we attack now?"

Snapping out of my stupor, I double checked the radar. Sure enough, four white dots were highlighted in a line parallel to the outskirts of the city. They were unmoving, collecting dust as the sandstorm grew.

"Did they break down?" Yang asked. She was hidden behind one of the taller buildings, but I could see the head of Ember Celica protruding from behind the corner. "We're hidden in this storm. We could take them now."

"She's right," Don Colonel added. "We should press the advantage while the enemy is off guard. Orders, miss Rose?"

"Alright, move in and take them out." I conceded. "Don, this would be a good time to get acquainted with the controls of Wonderful Body. Try to switch weapons and move around. If you can, get in the air."

"Understood, Wonderful Body moving out."

I watched with a teacher's eye as the large NEXT slid out from the tangled concrete jungle of the city and into the open desert. He seemed to have picked up ground boosting alright but—he just stopped to walk a few steps. And now he's boosting again…and walking again. Now boosting? I knew he hadn't had training, but there was no way his energy reserves were that low. Yang was following close behind, smoothly gliding across the sand with little effort. I could hear her over the comm channel.

"Don, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean miss Xiao Long?"

"Why do you keep stopping?"

"I'm trying to conserve energy ma'am."

"You don't need to do that though. The amount of energy used to boost over the ground is negligible. Remember, you're not in a normal anymore."

"Of course, you're right. I guess old habits die hard."

While I was glad Yang could take on the mentor role and help Don, if he regressed to his "old habits" during a serious fight, he was done for, no matter how heavy his armor was. Any LYNX, unless they're in a tank, still needs at least some speed if they want to survive.

As the two NEXTs neared their targets, the normal squad began emerging from the buildings and spreading out to form a perimeter, and watch for any other forces. For all their training though, if a NEXT came through here those normals were just as dead as Peace City. When I rotated the camera to view Yang and Don Colonel again, I thought I saw a small ball of light high in the sky off in the distance, but it was quickly obscured by sand on the lens. When it cleared, the light was gone, hidden again by a cloud of dust. I guess even the sun can't take the storm.

"This is Wonderful Body, commencing attack."

In the thick, gritty air, the flashing of a rifle and spread bazooka were silent and dim. Even the small explosions from the transports as their cabs caught fire and ignited the fuel didn't so much as put a dent in the curtain of sand. But the four flaming vehicles still lit up like beacons in the desert as Don Colonel fired a final rifle shot into the last one.

"Objective complete. How was that?" Don Colonel asked passively. And as quickly as the storm had begun, it started to fade. The light of day began to filter down through the settling sands, and the wind slowed back down to the stale breeze it was before.

"Well, you have a grasp of basic movement and weapon systems, but we need to work on more advanced techniques…" Yang's voice seemed to trail off as I scrutinized a tiny point in the sky. The light I had seen before, what I had thought was the sun, was gone. Instead, the sun shone from directly overhead, not coming in from the horizon. Rotating the camera, I again caught a glimpse of the yellowish ball. Only it wasn't a light anymore. It was exhaust from a missile.

The radar began to beep warnings as a purple triangle entered the mission zone. It was approaching fast, but upon visual inspection appeared to be just a small, single missile—no, not single, there were two behind it—no, not two ten, and more still coming! It was a chain of missiles, all headed straight for the two LYNXs standing over the flaming trucks.

"Ambush!" I screamed over the comms. Don Colonel and Yang both turned as their more limited radars picked up the contacts. "Flares out, flares out!"

"Whoa!"

"How do I—got it!"

Small balls of brightly burning magnesium compounds flew out in all directions, forming an umbrella encircling the two NEXTs. Yang and Don Colonel glided away from their position as missiles began to break off and head straight into the decoys. But the chain was not completely broken. As Yang and Don retreated into the city, I saw the normals scrambling for cover. All of them were enveloped in metal and fire, and either collapsed to the ground in pieces or scattered across the dunes. Within seconds, the attack was over.

"Don, Yang check in, are you damaged at all?"

"We're fine, Ruby. What about the others, are they…"

"They're gone Yang, I'm sorry. This was a trap, we need to get out of here before they can attack again."

"Where did it come from?"

"I don't know," I replied as I scoured the horizon for the source of the attack. "I'll call this in to GA headquarters, but it's probably from an artillery piece already zeroed in on this location. If we move we can…" I froze mid sentence as I found what I was looking for. It wasn't an artillery piece. It was a blue and white NEXT, over boosting to the edge of the combat zone. I recognized the thickly built, yet smooth build of the Interior Union's "Tellus" frame, and a pair of old Leonemeccanica "Lamia" Autonomous Seeking missile launchers. And in place of the arms was a custom Aurora AS missile arm part, with Scylla AS missiles mounted on them as well. There were enough missiles in that NEXT to level the entirety of Peace City; and only one LYNX I knew of with that setup.

"Yang, Don, we have Ay-Pool's Vero Nork incoming. It's only armed with missiles, so as long as your flares hold up, you should be okay." I breathed a sigh of relief. The pilot, Ay-Pool, may be an Interior Union veteran, but she was outnumbered and outgunned. Now that the element of surprise had been lost, she was vulnerable.

"Finally, they've thrown a NEXT at us. The Interior Union drag their feet too much. I'll take care of her." Don stated over the comm. As Wonderful Body began gliding forward to meet Vero Nork, Ember Celica also spurred to life and followed closely behind him.

"I've still got your back Don. Alone one of us might not have enough flares to survive all those missiles." Yang cautioned.

"Vero Nork's launching another salvo guys, but she's holding position; if you move in now you can catch her off guard between reloads." I said. On the radar I saw another purple chain of missiles coming from Vero Nork's red triangle streaking towards my team before they scattered and disappeared. The visual camera registered the glow of the flares and the boosters of the NEXTs as they all closed distance. Don Colonel was the first to get in weapons range.

"Firing now. Let's give her a taste of her own medicine."

The vertical missile launchers on Wonderful Body's back opened up and let loose a red torrent of explosives that went streaking high into the sky above Vero Nork. Yang continue dashing past Don as Ay-Pool frantically boosted away from her aggressors. Just as she raised her spread bazookas, something moving on the edge of the radar caught my eye. I studied the display carefully for a moment, and noticed it again. Another red triangle. A second enemy NEXT, moving at high speeds in a flanking approach. And it was heading straight for Don Colonel.

Quickly I swiveled the camera around to get a look at its armaments and identify it. To my surprise, the design was unfamiliar to me. It was a gold colored quadruped; a lightweight, fast variety manufactured by Algebra. But its weapon choices told me it was an independent merc: It had GA bazooka arms, similar to Roadie's, as well as a set of vertical missile launchers on its back, much like Don Colonel had and relations missiles on the shoulders. High speed and very hard hitting physical weaponry made for a deadly combination. One that was cutting trenches through the sand as it sped closer to the unsuspecting Wonderful Body.

"Don, contact on your five! Lightweight quadruped, high speed, vertical and relation missiles and bazooka arms."

"Where? I don't see—"

He was cut off by a series of simultaneous explosions that pulled my attention in all different directions. Yang had reached Vero Nork and was mercilessly pounding the white and blue NEXT with her spread bazookas while simultaneously popping flares. Redirected missiles detonated in the air and on the ground behind her, getting dangerously close to Wonderful Body. The vertical missiles from Don Colonel slammed into Vero Nork as it boosted out of the way of a massive bazooka blast. And the bazooka arms of the quadruped ripped into Don Colonel's backside.

His primal armor briefly sparked, and then died as they absorbed another hit. Don at least had the sense to move forward, out of the quadruped's line of fire, but he was slow to turn around. The agile mercenary was circling him like a vulture. Without Yang's help, Don Colonel was as good as dead.

Farther out into the desert, Vero Nork's PA was gone completely, and Yang's ferocious attack was quickly compromising its hull integrity. Ay-Pool launched into the air and attempted to boost over Yang to link up with her partner, which only worked for a few seconds before Yang wheeled on her and fired a shot from her grenade cannon. Ay-Pool let out an open-channel yell as the left shoulder of Vero Nork was severed in a terrifying pillar of flame. The frame must have been losing power as well, as it crashed into the dirt with a resounding thud, flaming and dark. Only silence came from Ay-Pool, but Yang's triumphant cry was loud in my ear.

"Take that Ay-_Fool_, next time plan a better ambush." She cheered. I quickly pulled her out of her victory.

"Yang, another NEXT is engaging Don Colonel. He needs help now. It's a light quadruped with heavy bazookas and missiles."

"Oh no, I'm coming."

Ember Celica jetted off in the direction of the battle, which from my perspective was still very one sided. Don Colonel tried to track the quadruped, and fired constantly with his rifle just trying to score a hit. Only a few shots actually connected, and he was quickly running out of flares trying to avoid the mercenary's missiles.

"Don," Yang called. "Get into the air, you can't take on a quadruped from the ground."

"W-wait a second." Don gasped in surprise as Yang lifted off the ground and into the air above. "NEXTs move like…that? S-so… what am I doing?" If this situation wasn't so tense, I would have been slapping my forehead at Don's ignorance of basic NEXT abilities. I guess becoming a veteran nowadays meant never getting involved in a mission with NEXTs.

"Don, don't panic," I ordered. "Remember you are controlling Wonderful Body with your mind, not physical switches and levers. If you lose it, you'll be dead where you stand."

"I-I understand. Thanks miss Rose."

As Yang grew closer and began raining missiles at the quadruped, the tide of battle seemed to be turning. The golden NEXT swerved from its circle to avoid Yang's fire, and Don Colonel was finally able to get a lock and launch a large missile barrage. He even tried flying, which in the end looked more like an extended jump, but it was better than nothing. Most of the missiles were avoided, but a few connected, enough to put the quadruped on the defensive. But when Don Colonel landed, he made a huge mistake. Instead of gliding around to track the enemy, he began walking.

The quadruped's pilot noticed this, and made a beeline for his flank. Everything happened so fast that no one had time to speak. One minute, Don Colonel was lining up a shot, and the next, he was frozen as Wonderful Body staggered under the impact of a close range bazooka arm blast. The golden NEXT was practically on top of him, firing once again into his backside.

"What the- ah!" Don cried. My heart began to thump hard in my chest. There was nothing I could do or say that would fix this situation. I could see Yang in the air taking aim with her grenade cannon, but if she fired now it would hit both the quadruped and Don. We were both helpless to watch as another blast cut through Wonderful Body's PA and into its back, exposing the kojima cells and AMS systems. The ruined, smoking NEXT sagged down to the sand, and a weakened Don Colonel pleaded on the open channel.

"I can't die, not here…"

It fell on deaf ears, and the mercenary fired again. A large fireball enveloped Wonderful Body, and the shattered kojima reactor scattered particles across a wide area. As soon as the flame had come to life, Yang fired a volley of missiles and her grenade cannon, and began overboosting towards the merc.

"You bastard," she raged. "I'll make you pay!"

The merc tried to move out of the way, but was caught in the large cannon's explosion. His speed allowed him to dodge the missiles, but he was visibly startled, if only for a second, by Yang's head on charge. If memory serves correctly, he should be almost out of ammo for his arms by now, and I bet that in those brief moments he was calculating who would go down first in a close range firefight.

He chose correctly, and began backing up away from Ember Celica. Although he seemed almost loathe to run, he turned away and began charging his own overboost as Yang stopped to take aim with her cannon again. A smooth and sinister male voice creeped over the comms.

"My mission is complete. Aspina brute, I'll see you on the battlefield."

I recoiled in shock. How did he know Yang was from Aspina? I didn't have time to ask as the man rocketed off into the dunes, narrowly avoiding a grenade shot. Yang swore under her breath again, but did not pursue. Quickly he was gone from the radar, and we were beginning to lose sight of him as well. I took a moment to survey the desert.

Ember Celica slowly descended from the sky, and landed with a light thump in the sand before jetting over to the flaming corpse of Wonderful Body. The NEXT was ruined. The torso had come apart, splaying the arms and legs in haphazard, disconnected positions around where Don Colonel had gone down. The fire had stopped from lack of fuel, although the kojima reactor was still spreading its deadly radiation throughout the area.

"I failed." Yang muttered solemnly, as she stood over the wreckage. "I couldn't protect him." I remained silent.

"It was a hit," Yang continued. "The IU doesn't want us training any fresh LYNX."

"You defeated Ay-Pool, at least. That should set them back on the defensive. The other NEXT was definitely a mercenary." I said.

"Did you recognize him?"

"Strangely enough, no. He's either new or a well-kept secret. Going by his skills, I'm betting on the latter. We need to tell Roadie."

Speaking of the devil, the satellite comm began to blare inside the chopper. Leaning over from my seat, I pushed the confirm call button and was met with a familiar mustached face.

"Ah, Ruby, fancy seeing you here. I'm guessing Yang invited you on this mission?"

"Yes sir."

He chuckled. "Alright then. How'd it go anyway?"

"Well, not that good. It was an ambush, and the IU came at us with Ay-Pool and some other mercenary. Ay-Pool was killed, but so was Don Colonel and our normal escorts. The merc escaped." I sighed.

"Huh. I suppose it can't be helped. I warned the brass about letting him out in the field too early, but of course they didn't listen." Roadie shook his head. But then he brightened up a little.

"Tell your sister not to take this too hard. Even the best pilot would be hard pressed to keep an amateur safe when they're outnumbered. But all this isn't why I called in the first place. You remember the Rayleonard test subject I mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes."

"I think I may have found him, but he's holed up in what's left of an old bunker in the north. I'm going to investigate, and I called in to ask Yang to join me."

"Ok, I'll relay the message."

"Thanks. I would ask you to come as well, but I don't know your schedule. Perhaps next time."

The comm switched off as Roadie ended the call with a brief blip. My pilot was steadily lowering the helicopter to pick up Yang, while Don Colonel's helicopter had already begun the return trip free of cargo. Ember Celica locked into place inside the bay, and a gust of wind kicked some sand into the room before the large doors sealed shut. A brown figure emerged from the large robot, removing a dark helmet and spilling long hair along her back. Yang's aviator glasses were still hooked on the collar of her suit.

"Yang," I called as I removed my headpiece. "I have a message from Roadie."

"Alright, what is it?" She grunted. I could see she was still angry at herself for what happened. Her eyes even seemed a little red.

"He's going to go search for the Rayleonard pilot he saw fighting without the stabilizers. He wants you to go with him."

"Hmm. Sure, I guess. If he's friendly, then we'll get a new ally. If he's not, we'll have a nice firefight. Should be fun." Yang managed to crack a grin.

"And Yang,"

"Yeah?"

"Roadie also said not to take this all to hard. Protecting someone while outnumbered is very difficult."

"I know…" Yang seemed to trail off as she massaged her left temple. "Let's head back. I doubt Roadie will head out today, and I would very much enjoy some food and sleep."

"I think we all would enjoy that."

And so the helicopter took off, leaving the burning dust and the ruined buildings behind, now with a few extra corpses to add to the boneyard under the dunes of Peace City.

* * *

><p><strong>To those of you who suggested ideas and OC characters, I am writing them in with some minor changes to some of the ideas you sent. They are still your ideas though and I give you all credit for them. You know who you are.<strong>

**I can't post a list of OC names yet since that would spoil the story, but when they are properly introduced I will attribute them to the owner.**

**Unfortunately I also cannot take any more OC characters, I've already written in quite a few to my outlines. But other ideas in general I am still open towards.**

**Thanks so much for your support!**


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